Chelsea 2-1 Brentford: In-form Blues move just two points behind Liverpool and underline title credentials after goals from Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson

The cross came from Noni Madueke and this time it did not pass over the Cuckoo’s nest.

Marc Cucurella delivered perfectly with his first Premier League goal in Chelsea colours, and Enzo Maresca’s plan to hit the Brentford box with balls finally earned them the breakthrough.

Nicolas Jackson scored his second goal and provided enough light for Bryan Mbeumo’s goal to serve as a consolation.

The longer Chelsea continue to win, the harder it will be for Maresca to insist with a straight face that they are not in the race for this season’s title.

They will even have the chance to temporarily one-up their rivals next weekend, as their trip to Everton takes place before Liverpool take on Tottenham.

December 3, 2021 was the last time this club topped the table; too long if you ask Stamford Bridge fans.

And yet, Maresca will maintain that there is nothing to see here. Just as actors don’t say the name ‘Macbeth’ for fear of a curse falling on their head, you won’t see Chelsea talking about the title either, but Liverpool sense something evil coming their way.

It is a team, masterfully led by Maresca, that made the most of a weekend in which all other results were favorable. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, they all faltered.

But Chelsea didn’t, even if Mbeumo set up the nervy finish.

The only downside to this win was in stoppage time, Cucurella received a yellow card for a crucial challenge and at full time, he received another, with a suspension imminent.

Cucurella’s sponsors Puma engaged in damage limitation after his two slips in his new boots led to Tottenham goals last weekend, launching a campaign with the slogan: “It’s not about how you slip, but how you recover.”

As clever as that midweek marketing stunt was, Cucurella wasn’t wearing the offending shoe here, which arguably said more.

Back in a version that was expected to keep it upright, Chelsea’s defenders refused to become the latest team to let Brentford break through in a matter of minutes, as did Manchester City, Tottenham and others. Instead, the two best opportunities of this spell fell to Jackson.

First, Malo Gusto’s header ended up wide. Then a long ball from Moisés Caicedo in behind found the run of Jackson, who fired the ball straight at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Statistically, no one in the Premier League runs as relentlessly as Jackson, so the visitors knew the Chelsea striker would keep them on their toes.

Brentford’s best chance of the first half came in the 29th minute, when Mikkel Damsgaard looked destined to score, but Levi Colwill made a block, John Terry style. The Chelsea players gathered to congratulate Colwill before preparing for the corner.

Chances came and went for Jadon Sancho and Madueke, who pounced on Flekken’s loose pass but were denied when the Brentford goalkeeper grew big enough to block the shot. However, according to Chelsea’s crossing plan, it was in the 43rd minute when he scored.

Madueke’s ball was perfect, right on the path Cucurella intended to take. The curly-haired man gladly accepted the gift from his end as he headed past Flekken. He added to Cucurella’s redemption arc as the left-back who was once booed at Stamford Bridge for not performing as a £63million signing.

The most crosses Chelsea had managed in a Premier League match this season was 23 against Nottingham Forest. The next closest total after that was 15 against Manchester City. In the first half alone here, the stats said they fired 17 balls into the Brentford box.

Although Madueke had provided the perfect ball for Cucurella’s first goal, he was having a frustrating night and too often gave up possession cheaply. Pedro Neto was present watching from the substitutes’ bench, but was suspended after receiving five yellow cards.

When Madueke won a corner, Chelsea were hoping for a penalty as the Brentford area looked like a WWE ring. The refereeing team decided that there were six of one and half a dozen of the other.

In the 60th minute, Chelsea should have been two up when Sancho drove down the line before cutting the ball into the six-yard box. Jackson was waiting on the edge, with the goal wide open.

However, he inflated what should have been a touch, a real head-in-hands moment that Chelsea fans feared they might regret on their trips home.

Sancho then tried to get the ball into the goal in the 67th minute, even rounding Flekken with quick feet, but it took too long.

Brentford began to push for an equalizer and in the 73rd minute, Christian Norgaard thought he had done it.

However, his volley was superbly deflected by Robert Sánchez. No matter how nervous the Chelsea goalkeeper makes fans with his feet, his hands are safe.

After 75 minutes, Jackson tried to seal the victory, but Flekken went wide. Brentford went up the other end and with their own cross, Fabio Carvalho hit the ball against the crossbar.

But then, in the 80th minute, Jackson fell behind on a pass from Enzo Fernandez. With only Pinnock blocking his path, he found the bottom corner for 2-0.

Brentford made it 2-1 in the 90th minute, Mbeumo finishing off a one-on-one. Chelsea survived the final attack, although Cucurella was shown his two yellow cards amid the chaos.

Still, Maresca will be quite happy with the victory, which will only test his poker face even more.