Fabio Carvalho struck deep into stoppage time to earn Brentford a dramatic 2–2 draw with Chelsea in an entertaining derby at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Chelsea thought they had stolen the points when Moises Caicedo thundered in from the edge of the box five minutes from time, completing a turnaround that had begun with Cole Palmer’s equaliser shortly after the hour mark.
Brentford, however, refused to fold. A long throw launched into Chelsea’s area caused chaos, and substitute Carvalho bundled the ball home in the third minute of added time to rescue a point for Keith Andrews’ side.
It was harsh on Enzo Maresca, who had introduced Palmer as a half-time substitute in a bid to spark life into a poor first-half display. Kevin Schade had deservedly put Brentford ahead in the 35th minute, and Chelsea laboured for long periods before Palmer coolly levelled on his return from injury.
Palmer might have had a second, only to spurn a golden chance, while Pedro Neto was denied by Ethan Pinnock as Chelsea pressed forward.
When Caicedo’s strike flew beyond Mark Flekken, it appeared the visitors had done enough, only for their defensive frailties to be punished again at the death.
The late twist means Chelsea miss the chance to go top of the Premier League table. Instead, they remain fifth with eight points from their opening four games, as attention shifts to next week’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
For Brentford, the manner of the equaliser was no surprise. The Bees have now scored seven league goals directly from throw-ins since the start of last season, at least five more than any other side. And for Carvalho, it was a familiar story: all six of his Premier League goals have come after the 75th minute, with four of those arriving in stoppage time.
