Chelsea’s season in doubt on and off the field as Brentford find historic win, Christian Eriksen goal

LONDON, England — In the space of 10 minutes, Chelsea went from being in the familiar position of a goal to the good at home, to wondering if their season is going to unravel.

Antonio Rudiger’s wondergoal at the start of the second half brought relief at Stamford Bridge, but it was only a momentary respite from the off-field ownership battle and now on-field uncertainty engulfing the club. What followed was a brutal exposure of the hosts’ fragile state as Christian Eriksen, Mads Roerslev and Bryan Mbuemo orchestrated a historic 4-1 win for Brentford.

Three times Brentford hit Chelsea on the counter-attack from the 50th to the 60th minute with Vitaly Janelt striking twice either side of Eriksen’s first Premier League goal for the Bees. Yoane Wissa grabbed a fourth in the dying embers of the game to guide them to their first win since 1939 over their London neighbours — just 5.5 miles lie between Stamford Bridge and Brentford’s ground.

In their first season in the Premier League, this was Brentford’s biggest win of the campaign, and one of the most impressive in the club’s history. It was orchestrated through hustling, high pressing and being brilliant nuisances to Chelsea. There was scant respect for their traditional bigger brothers. Instead Thomas Frank’s side got their tactics spot-on as Chelsea struggled to break the high press, leaving Brentford poised to counter-attack whenever Chelsea’s desperation left them exposed at the back.

Mbuemo was the one out-ball for Brentford, but it all went through that midfield maestro Eriksen. In his four starts for the club they have won three — no wonder Frank is desperate to keep the Danish midfielder beyond the end of this season.

“Christian is a top player,” Frank said Saturday. “He’s an ongoing fairytale and I’m very pleased for that. He’s calm on the ball, he finds a solution, and he provides goals and assists.”

The win for Brentford puts them 11 points above the relegation zone, and while they can start to plan…