Chelsea marked Liam Rosenior’s first Premier League match in charge with a hard-fought home win over Brentford, edging a contest in which the visitors often looked the more threatening side.
Goals from Joao Pedro before the break and a Cole Palmer penalty in the second half were enough to secure all three points, giving Rosenior his second victory in three games as head coach.
However, the scoreline masked a testing afternoon for the hosts, who were outmatched in possession and chances by an enterprising Brentford side.
The Bees started with purpose, Kevin Schade twice testing Chelsea’s defence early on and later opting to pass when a shooting opportunity opened up.
Chelsea responded through Palmer, who curled narrowly over, before Joao Pedro saw a penalty appeal turned down.
The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Enzo Fernandez pressed Michael Kayode into an error on the edge of the box.
The loose ball fell kindly for Joao Pedro, who rifled a powerful finish beyond Caoimhin Kelleher.
Brentford refused to fold and created several opportunities to draw level.
Mikkel Damsgaard, Schade and Mathias Jensen all went close, with Jensen striking the post, while Alejandro Garnacho somehow missed an open goal at the other end.
Early in the second half, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez produced an outstanding one-on-one save to deny Schade as Brentford continued to apply pressure.
Rosenior attempted to steady his side by introducing Andrey Santos for Garnacho, but the change invited even more Brentford pressure.
Igor Thiago wasted a rare opening when he headed wide, and Chelsea soon made the miss count.
A loose pass from Nathan Collins and hesitation from Kelleher allowed substitute Liam Delap to nip in and draw a foul in the box.
Palmer calmly converted the resulting penalty to double the lead.
Brentford pushed late on, but Aaron Hickey curled their final chance wide, allowing Chelsea to see out the game and climb above their west London rivals into sixth place.
This was not a polished Chelsea performance, but it was a vital one.
With unrest around the club and only one win in nine before kick-off, Rosenior badly needed a positive result to steady the mood.
Chelsea’s football lacked fluency, something Rosenior later attributed to illness sweeping through the squad, but their efficiency in front of goal proved decisive.
The head coach will take encouragement from the impact of his substitutions, particularly Delap’s role in winning the penalty.
For now, the result buys Rosenior time and quietens the noise as he looks to stamp his identity on a side still adjusting to change.
Despite the defeat, Brentford’s display underlined why they have been among the season’s overachievers.
They controlled large spells of the match and created enough chances to take something from Stamford Bridge.
Ultimately, the difference lay in quality at key moments.
Chelsea were more clinical, while Brentford were left to rue missed opportunities and their continued struggles away from home.
Still, with strong underlying performances and impressive league positioning, there is little reason for panic.
If Brentford maintain this level, results are likely to follow.
