Igor Thiago netted his first Premier League goal of the season as unbeaten Brentford struck three times after the break to secure a convincing win over West London rivals Chelsea.
Brentford took the lead in the 61st minute when Jaidon Anthony was left unmarked to head in from a yard out, following a deep corner that Jannik Schuster nodded back across goal.
Chelsea pressed hard for an equalizer, but they were caught on the counterattack late on when Kevin Schade was sent clean through and although his tame shot was kept out by goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Igor Thiago slotted the rebound into an empty net.
Substitute Fabio Carvalho sealed the three points with a third goal in stoppage time, lifting Brentford up to third.
Chelsea, in the meantime, have now gone three league games without a win—losing two of them—and failed to score for the first time under Xabi Alonso.
The Blues edged a forgettable first half, with efforts from Pedro Neto and Morgan Rogers the closest either team came to opening the scoring.
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The second half began with more energy, yet chances remained rare until Chelsea failed to deal with a Brentford corner, Martinez choosing not to come for the ball, and Anthony headed in his first Bees goal.
Chelsea pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but despite all their possession and territorial control, clear chances did not materialize, and with seven minutes left, Brentford broke quickly, and Igor Thiago doubled the advantage.
The match was already won, but Keith Andrews’ team gave the jubilant home supporters more to cheer in the closing moments, as Schade’s deflected cross was finished at the back post by Carvalho.
“I feel like I have played,” Andrews told BBC Match of the Day.
“It’s important that you enjoy evenings like this because you work so hard and there are so many tough days in this game.
“When you play against a West London rival, and you build up to a game, and you go on a bit of a journey with the team, there are always bumps along the way, but we were in a really good place, and it’s nice to see it come into fruition tonight.”
After a promising start to the campaign, with consecutive victories and plenty of goals, Chelsea’s situation has swiftly become difficult.
They have now gone three league matches without a win, conceding seven goals during that stretch and 12 overall this season along with another three in the Carabao Cup.
Mindful of those defensive worries, Alonso selected Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco to strengthen the midfield, and for an hour the plan paid off.
Brentford supporters booed the two throughout, Henderson because he once played for the Bees and Barco for his behavior with Argentina at the World Cup, yet they performed well in their duels and in keeping possession.
However, that extra solidity appeared to come at the cost of the attacking flair that had been so clear early in the season.
Cole Palmer showed flashes of his ability, but the absence of the injured Joao Pedro was deeply felt, both before and after they went behind.
Even though they had Brentford pinned back at 1-0, they found it hard to fashion anything resembling a clear chance before the game was already gone, while their defensive weaknesses returned.
