Brentford 2-2 Chelsea

Thank heavens for Fernando Torres. Chelsea were starring at humiliation at the hands of lower-league opposition and Rafael Benítez was feeling the fury of the club's travelling support when the striker, who has become synonymous with a failure to deliver when it really matters, did precisely that.

Torres's late equaliser was marked by the kind of quality that originally persuaded Chelsea to break the British transfer record to sign him and whilst it is trite to suggest that it repaid a slice of the £50m, there could be no doubting the relief that it triggered at the club. Benítez was prominent among the beneficiaries. His 78th-minute substitution of Branislav Ivanovic for Cesar Azpilicuetua, one right-back for another, as Chelsea trailed to Harry Forrester's penalty, drew derision from the away enclosure, who told him that he did not know what he was doing. There was also the stock reminder that the interim manager is not wanted by them.

Torres's instinctive finish – right-footed, into the far corner, giving the goalkeeper Simon Moore no chance – painted happier headlines for Chelsea, who had to fear the worst after Ballboy-gate at Swansea City last Wednesday. Chelsea could even have snatched it in injury-time when Juan Mata's cross struck Harlee Dean's hand. Somehow, there was no penalty award.

It would have been cruel on Brentford, though, if they had been denied the replay, after they had contributed so heavily to an engrossing tie. There were heroes aplenty in their colours and the cheers from the home crowd at the final whistle spoke of a famous result. Kool and the Gang's Celebration was played to catch the mood.

Benítez had taken few chances with his line-up, although he would tell you that his resources are so stretched at present he has little room for manoeuvre. He started with all six of his senior English players and it was one of those occasions that called for total commitment and focus. Brentford had it in abundance, particularly in midfield, and yet there were also flashes of skill, notably from Shaleum Logan and Forrester up the left flank, on a pitch that looked difficult at the outset and cut up ominously. Believe it or not, Chelsea paid for the surface to be seeded, as part of the deal that allows their Under-21s to play here sometimes.

The pitch was a leveller, despite the Brentford manager Uwe Rösler's preference for a passing game. The plain fact was that as Chelsea battled to come to terms with the bobbles and the way that the ball would unexpectedly slow up, Brentford revelled in familiarity.

Rösler's team controlled the first half and they were the likelier scorers of the opening goal. The home crowd had already taunted their rivals about it being something of a joke that they were the champions of Europe when Marcello Trotta plunged them into delirium. Adam Forshaw, who epitomised the intensity of Brentford's pressing, won the ball off Frank Lampard and Forrester tried his luck from 20 yards.

Ross Turnbull, in for Petr Cech, had looked nervous in the Chelsea goal. He had endured an early misunderstanding with John Terry, which resulted in him getting too close to the returning captain and picking up his back-pass. Forrester lifted the free-kick over the crossbar. Forrester's shot was on target on this occasion, if not exactly struck with venom but Turnbull could do nothing more than parry the ball to the feet of Trotta. His finish was true.

Chelsea were dismal in the first half. They created nothing of note and it was a struggle for them to piece together passes. Brentford looked as though they wanted it more. Then again, it was their biggest game in years. The old stadium was packed to the rafters and the cup tie fervour was tangible.

Brentford's players mucked in for the collective. Clayton Donaldson, the top scorer in League One, rolled up his sleeves in a wide-right role for 70 minutes while Logan, a right-back by trade, filled the problem position at left-back, following the untimely suspension to Jake Bidwell. Benítez's response was to introduce Mata for Marko Marin at half-time, move Oscar to the right and, presumably, instruct his team to show a bit more backbone. They looked more purposeful upon the restart, penning Brentford back, and the equaliser duly arrived. It was an absolute beauty. Oscar had looked as though he would rather be elsewhere in the first-half; possibly, on a beach in his native Brazil. At least, there was plenty of sand on the pitch here. But he came alive inside the penalty to show his balance and technical class. When the ball broke to him, he wriggled past Brentford defenders to buy himself space before he curled home with the outside of his right boot. Mata drew a smart save out of Moore shortly afterwards and it seemed as though Chelsea were primed to weather the storm.

Wrong. Rösler withdrew Trotta for Tom Adeyemi and switched Donaldson up front and the move paid a stunning dividend. Donaldson's pass ushered in Adeyemi and when he nicked the ball past Turnbull, he found himself impeded by the advancing Chelsea goalkeeper's challenge. Chelsea complained about the lack of contact but Turnbull had been clumsy, at best. He was booked – the sanction could have been worse, on another day – and Forrester beat him from the penalty spot.

Ivanovic went close with an overhead kick and the Chelsea fans' mood darkened when Benítez replaced him with Azpilicueta, although the Spaniard did cross for Ryan Bertrand to head off target. Torres, however, stepped forward to save the day. Chelsea could exhale. Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 days ago. ~Chelsea Headlines on One News Page [United Kingdom]~
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