Liam Rosenior: Chelsea struggled in second half of Brentford win due to virus

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior blamed a virus that has affected his squad for their second-half struggles as they forced their way past Brentford to earn him a first Premier League win.

A 2-0 scoreline at Stamford Bridge, earned through a goal in either half from Joao Pedro and a Cole Palmer penalty, flattered the home side with Keith Andrews’ visitors dominating after the interval but being let down by poor finishing.

Blues supporters held a protest pre-match against owners BlueCo and the direction that they perceive the club is being led in, and even in victory it was clear that there were problems on the pitch too that needed addressing.

Chelsea conceded control of the game almost entirely to Brentford in the second half, their midfield overrun and finding it difficult to advance out of their own third.

Rosenior pointed to the illness that left several of his players unable to train and saw the result as a hurdle cleared under trying circumstances.

“It’s running through the squad,” he said. “There were a couple of players playing today who were complaining about their chests. They put in a magnificent effort. I felt that’s why we weren’t good with the ball.

“I’m so happy with the attitude of the group to get through this game.”

Chelsea had started brightly and were good value for their 26th-minute lead. Michael Kayode’s clearance hit Enzo Fernandez and dropped for Pedro, who pounced on the unexpected chance to score with a ferocious finish.

Brentford then took control with Mathias Jensen and Kevin Schade missing multiple chances to level.

Liam Delap, who had missed the Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal with the virus, came off the bench and immediately pounced on a sloppy touch from Caoimhin Kelleher to win a penalty.

P