As Chelsea laboured towards a 4-1 defeat against Brentford as remarkable as it was emphatic, the cameras lingered on the forlorn expressions of Bruce Buck, Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech in the crowd. Within all the chaos that has surrounded the club as billionaires wrestle for its future, the football itself has almost become a sideshow. But on this chastening afternoon for Thomas Tuchel’s side, it became impossible to shield the players in the eye of the storm.
That will certainly be one explanation offered up for a miserable performance, even if there can be little excuse for the lethargy carried over from the international break. But it should certainly do nothing to detract from Brentford’s astonishing and deserved victory, which should all but ensure their Premier League safety.
