Emiliano Martínez endured another torrid night between the posts as Brentford tore through Chelsea’s defense at the Gtech Community Stadium, condemning the Blues to a 3-0 defeat and stretching the goalkeeper’s early struggles at his new club.
The Argentine has now shipped 10 goals in just four appearances since joining Chelsea, a return that will alarm Xabi Alonso as the international break approaches.
Chelsea actually started brightly and controlled the first half. Cole Palmer danced into the box before defenders crowded him out, while Pedro Neto forced a smart save from Caoimhin Kelleher after Danny Welbeck picked him out.
Morgan Rogers also threatened, driving a shot from a central position that cannoned off Jannik Schuster and away to safety. Despite chances at both ends, the sides went in level.
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Brentford flipped the game after the break. Martínez actually got a fingertip to a Jaidon Anthony header that crashed against the crossbar early in the second half, only for the offside flag to save him. He couldn’t be bailed out again on the hour mark, though: Mikkel Damsgaard swung in a corner, Schuster nodded it back across goal, and Anthony guided a header past Martínez from close range to break the deadlock.
Chelsea surged forward looking for an equalizer and won corner after corner, blocking five efforts between the 66th and 80th minutes as Brentford threw bodies on the line. But the hosts punished them on the counter.
Ollie Schade slipped clear and forced another good stop out of Martínez, who parried the effort only for Igor Thiago to pounce on the rebound and slot home the second.
Martínez had no chance with the third. Substitute Fabio Carvalho fired home at the far post after Schade’s deflected cross fell into his path, sealing a chastening night for the goalkeeper and his new side.
Alonso made five changes to his XI, handing Jordan Henderson his Chelsea debut and starts to Pep Chavarria, Valentin Barco, and Maxence Lacroix. Sixteen-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli also made his senior bow late on, coming off the bench to become the club’s youngest debutant of the season.
The result leaves Chelsea on seven points from five games, with a prolonged international break now offering Martínez and his teammates time to regroup before the Premier League resumes in mid-October. For a goalkeeper brought in to shore up the defense, conceding double figures in his first month will demand urgent answers.
