Chelsea beat Brentford but Cucurella's goal was tarnished by red after the match | first division

Maintaining the pretense that this is not a title challenge is becoming more difficult for Chelsea. Boosted by Arsenal and Liverpool's squandering of points on Saturday, Enzo Maresca's side broke Brentford's hold on them and delivered like the potential champions by winning a close game thanks to goals from Marc Cucurella, who was sent off after the full time, and Nicolas Jackson.

Maresca will undoubtedly continue to be measured, even after seeing Chelsea end a streak of three consecutive losses at home against their neighbors. He will point out that the oft-maligned Robert Sánchez had to make a great save against Christian Nørgaard at 1-0. Brentford substitute Fábio Carvalho hit the crossbar during a nervy finish. Bryan Mbeumo halved the lead in the 90th minute.

Overall though, this was a positive night for Chelsea. They smothered uncomfortable opponents with their hunger and cruelty. They survived a difficult period, and when Jackson broke to make it 2-0, the crowd erupted. They know that Chelsea, who are two points behind Liverpool, although they have played one more game, are in the race.

The luxury of a deep squad meant that fatigue and the absence of seven injured players were unlikely to affect Chelsea after their 18-hour round trip to Kazakhstan. play Astana in the Europa Conference League. Maresca simply brought the A-listers back into the fold and, with his team pinning Brentford early, the opening goal seemed a matter of time.

Jackson had the first chance, looking in from a Malo Gusto cross, and was eager to test himself against Brentford's towering back three. In the 11th minute, after a long ball from the left, the striker showed perseverance to contain Ethan Pinnock and shoot hard at Mark Flekken.

The Brentford goalkeeper was busy. Cole Palmer went close from 20 yards and Enzo Fernandez raced in from deep to fire at Flekken's feet. Jadon Sancho faced Mads Roerslev and linked up with Cucurella. The visitors had to finish off many crosses.

However, if they were outclassed in terms of quality, there was nothing wrong with Brentford's commitment. Not afraid to sit deep, they concentrated on compressing space in an attempt to stifle Chelsea. There was a crucial Pinnock block on Jackson and when Chelsea threatened on the counter-attack, Sancho jumped to Noni Madueke, Yoane Wissa ran the length of the pitch to clear the danger.

Wissa were feeding on scraps up front, although there were fleeting moments of hope for Brentford. Mikkel Damsgaard, who had infuriated Frank with a couple of unsuccessful set pieces, was unlucky when Levi Colwill charged his shot towards goal.

Brentford continued to look to strike a cheap shot. The competitiveness was high, both teams were strong in attack. Chelsea pressed impressively, Moisés Caicedo ran through midfield, Madueke almost scored after forcing a turnover, but they needed a spark.

An unlikely source provided it when Madueke cut in from the right and whipped in a cross two minutes before the break. Brentford's concentration fell for the first time and Cucurella, all heart, desire and springy hair, ran between Roerslev and Sepp van den Berg to direct a low header past Flekken.

The left-back was a popular goalscorer among local fans, who adore the Spaniard's liveliness. A player of relentless energy, Cucurella epitomizes Chelsea's rise in many ways. Initially mocked after arriving from Brighton two years ago, the defender has struggled to establish himself and has become invaluable to Maresca, who tasked Cucurella with nullifying Mbeumo and playing a mix of full-back and mad roaming midfielder here.

Brentford struggled to cope with the constant surges. Cucurella was on the right wing early in the second half, running in to stop a counterattack, and his shot lifted Chelsea. The intensity was excellent and they should have doubled their lead before the hour mark, only for Jackson to latch onto Sancho's cross from yards out.

Brentford had no way out. Flekken tried to start a counterattack with a quick pass to Keane Lewis-Potter, but Caicedo intervened. Chelsea attacked again and Sancho, making his way down the left, was denied by a determined defence. Brentford stirred. They were direct and the tie beckoned when Chelsea could not clear their lines in a corner. Nørgaard thought his volley was in before Sánchez tipped it over.

Chelsea staggered. Carvalho, fresh off the bench, hit the crossbar from close range. But then Jackson arrived at half-time, running towards Pinnock. His shot flew past Flekken and, perhaps for the first time, it looked like Stamford Bridge truly believed. Mbeumo's last goal was a mere consolation. The finish was tense and Cucurella was sent off after full time.