Brentford vs Chelsea player ratings: Henderson a vocal leader as Thiago lifts weight off shoulders

Emiliano Martinez: The Argentine did not face any clear chances or difficult set-pieces in the first half. There was little he could do about Brentford‘s opener. 6

Wesley Fofana: The Frenchman was a physical presence at the back and dealt well enough with Brentford‘s long balls but was taken off for Josh Acheampong in the 72nd minute. 6

Maxence Lacroix: He coped well with Igor Thiago for most of the match, winning the majority of his duels, but he gave the ball away for Brentford‘s second goal and he missed a clear chance in the dying moments. 4

Levi Colwill: A quiet match by his high standards after being left out of the England squad. 6

Pedro Neto: His well-struck effort was saved in the 10th minute. He was lively throughout, linking up well in attack and stretching Brentford with his pace. 6

Jordan Henderson: There were no signs of rust. After receiving some early boos, he settled into the game and looked a vocal leader on the pitch. He also put some good corners into the box. 7

Valentin Barco: On his first Premier League start, the Argentine impressed defensively and was more ambitious with his passing than Henderson. 6

Pep Chavarria: Produced some dangerous crosses and was tidy in possession. A largely positive display despite one piece of naive defending in the first half that led to a free-kick. 7

Cole Palmer: Undoubtedly Chelsea‘s best player on the night, with much of their attacking play going through him. However, he was unable to produce the decisive moment he craved, with a free-kick comfortably saved and few other clear opportunities. He also worked hard defensively. 7

Danny Welbeck: On his first Premier League start for Chelsea, the 35-year-old created a chance for Neto but did not do enough to compensate for the absence of injured striker Joao Pedro. His 72nd minute withdrawal said a lot. 5

Morgan Rogers: Had a dangerous effort blocked in the penalty area just before half-time. The club-record £117m signing could also have done more to win the header at the back post for Brentford‘s opener. He ended the match playing up front as a striker. 5

Subs:

Josh Acheampong (on 72, Fofana): It was unclear why Acheampong came on when he did and, as a young defender, didn’t make much impact in these circumstances. 6

Geovany Quenda (on 72, Welbeck): Impressively got on the ball often and tried to make something happen for Chelsea but without any results. 6

Estevao Willian (on 87, Neto): N/A

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (on 87, Barco): N/A

Subs not used: Penders, Gusto, Hato, Lavia, Gittens