Chelsea lose fifth straight game to deepen crisis

London: Chelsea sunk to a fifth straight loss since the appointment of Frank Lampard as interim manager as Brentford won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The visitors led through Cesar Azpilicueta’s first-half own-goal and substitute Bryan Mbeumo added a second when he ran half the length of the field unchallenged to slam home a finish and extend Chelsea’s winless slide at home to six games in all competitions.

Chelsea have scored just one goal in their last seven games and failed to win any of their last eight.

If, as expected, Mauricio Pochettino is confirmed as the permanent successor to Graham Potter by the time the team play Arsenal on Tuesday, Chelsea will have had four different managers since their last victory.

Sluggish start

Chelsea, six points behind 10th-place Fulham, might struggle now just for a top-half finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea began sluggishly and only got worse. Ben Chilwell drew perhaps the only ripple of anticipation from around Stamford Bridge during the first half with a powerful burst down the left, taking the ball on after a clever first-time pass from Conor Gallagher.

Chilwell’s low cross was intercepted, and the only sniff of attacking intent from either side inside the first 20 minutes evaporated without threat.

N’Golo Kante appeared on the right touchline as Chelsea sought a way through, bending over an inviting cross. Up from the back and free inside the box, Thiago Silva got his head to the ball but his attempt lacked power, finding only the gloves of David Raya.

The first genuine test for the Brentford goalkeeper came on the half-hour mark, with Kante controlling the ball inside the box from Wesley Fofana’s cut-back and laying it off for Enzo Fernandez. The World Cup winner, still in search of his first goal since his record-breaking move to Stamford Bridge, shot too close to Raya, who tipped it behind.

Corner flick

Mathias Jensen’s corner got a flick from Mathias Jorgensen, and Azpilicueta knew little about it as the ball deflected off the Chelsea captain and bounced past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, frozen out under successive managers, emerged from the bench for the second half. His introduction seemed to inject signs of life into Chelsea’s attack.

Kante flashed a shot just wide from an angle just after the restart, before Aubameyang showed good footwork to make space for a strike that was straight at Raya.

For the second goal, Mbeumo was barely inside the Chelsea half when he picked up the ball and advanced upfield and into the box. Mbeumo crashed the ball left-footed inside the near post to bury Chelsea.

“West London is ours” sang the jubilant away support as home fans streamed for the exit.