The cross came in from Noni Madueke and this time, it did not fly over the Cucu’s nest. 

Marc Cucurella met it perfectly for his first Premier League goal in Chelsea colours, Enzo Maresca’s plan to pummel Brentford’s box with balls finally earning them the breakthrough.

It set them on their way to moving within two points of Liverpool, Nicolas Jackson scoring their second goal to give enough daylight that Bryan Mbeumo’s strike went down as a consolation.

The longer Chelsea continue to win, the trickier it will be for Maresca to insist with a straight face that they are not in this season’s title race. 

They will even have the opportunity to temporarily overtake their rivals next weekend, by virtue of their trip to Everton taking place before Liverpool take on Tottenham. 

December 3, 2021 was the last time this club topped the table – too long if you ask Stamford Bridge supporters.

Chelsea moved two points off the Premier League top spot after beating Brentford 2-1

Marc Cucurella stooped to head home the Blues’ opening goal before half-time

Nicolas Jackson wrapped up a crucial victory after firing beyond goalkeeper Mark Flekken

And yet, Maresca will maintain there is nothing to see here. Just as actors will not speak the name ‘Macbeth’ for fear it will bring a hex upon their heads, neither will you catch Chelsea talking of the title, but Liverpool sense something wicked is coming their way.

It is a team, managed expertly by Maresca, that took full advantage of a weekend when all other results went their way. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, they all faltered. 

But Chelsea did not, even if Mbeumo did set up the nervy ending.

The only downside to this victory was in stoppage time, Cucurella was shown a yellow card for a crunching challenge and at full-time, he was handed another, with a suspension incoming.

Cucurella’s sponsors Puma partook of some damage limitation after his two slips in their brand new boots led to Tottenham goals last weekend, launching a campaign with the tagline: ‘It’s not how you slip, it’s how you bounce back.’ 

As clever as that marketing stunt was in midweek, Cucurella was not wearing the offending footwear here, which arguably said more.

Back in a version he hoped would keep him vertical, Chelsea’s defenders refused to become the latest team to let Brentford break through within minutes, as Manchester City, Tottenham and others did. Instead, the best two chances of this spell fell to Jackson.

First, Malo Gusto’s cross led to a header which floated wide. Then, Moises Caicedo’s long ball in behind found the run of Jackson, who blasted the ball directly at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken. 

Cucurella’s effort set Enzo Maresca’s side on their way against the battling Bees

His header bounced into the turf and found the far corner, leaving Flekken helpless

Jackson raced away to celebrate in front of supporters after scoring Chelsea’s second

Robert Sanchez tipped over an effort from Christian Norgaard as late nerves set in

Statistically, nobody in the Premier League sprints as relentlessly as Jackson, so the visitors knew Chelsea’s striker would keep them on their toes.

Brentford’s best opportunity of the first half came after 29 minutes as Mikkel Damsgaard seemed destined to score, only for Levi Colwill to produce a lunging block, à la John Terry. Chelsea’s players gathered to congratulate Colwill before arranging themselves for the corner.

Chances came and went for Jadon Sancho and Madueke, who pounced on Flekken’s loose pass but was denied when Brentford’s goalkeeper made himself big enough to stop the shot. Yet as per Chelsea’s crossing plan, it was in the 43rd minute when they struck.

The ball from Madueke was perfect, right into the path that Cucurella planned on racing into. The man with the curly mop gladly accepted the gift from his winger as he headed beyond Flekken. It added to Cucurella’s redemption arc as the left back who was once booed at Stamford Bridge for not performing like a £63million signing.

The most crosses that Chelsea had managed in a Premier League match this season were their 23 versus Nottingham Forest. The next nearest total after that was 15 against Manchester City. In the first half alone here, the statistics said they fired 17 balls into Brentford’s box.

Though Madueke had provided the peach of a ball for Cucurella’s opener, he was having an otherwise frustrating night, too often surrendering possession cheaply. Pedro Neto was here watching from the substitutes’ bench, but suspended after picking up five yellow cards.

When Madueke won a corner, Chelsea hoped for a penalty given Brentford’s box resembled a WWE ring. The refereeing team decided it was six of one and half a dozen the other.

In the 60th minute, Chelsea should have been two-up when Sancho drove down the line before cutting the ball back into the six-yard box. Jackson was waiting on its edge, the goal entirely open. 

Fabio Carvalho rattled the crossbar from just several yards out with his first touch

Jadon Sancho rounded the keeper but was unable to squeeze his effort into the empty net

Yoane Wissa denied Yoane Wissa from close range minutes before Jackson swept home

Cucurella was shown his second yellow card and was sent off after a final whistle scrap

Yet he ballooned what should have been a tap-in, a real head-in-hands moment which Chelsea fans feared they might be lamenting on their journeys home. 

Sancho then tried to walk the ball into the goal in the 67th minute, even rounding Flekken with fast feet, but he took too long.

Brentford began to push for the leveller and in the 73rd minute, Christian Norgaard thought he had it nailed. 

However, his volley was tipped over superbly by Robert Sanchez. As nervous as Chelsea’s goalkeeper makes fans with his feet, his hands are safe.

After 75 minutes, Jackson tried to seal the win, Flekken tipping wide. Brentford went up the other end and with a cross of their own, Fabio Carvalho crashed the ball into the crossbar.

But then, in the 80th minute, Jackson broke behind on to Enzo Fernandez’s bending pass. With only Pinnock blocking his route, he found the bottom corner for 2-0.

Brentford made it 2-1 in the 90th minute, Mbeumo finishing a one-v-one. Chelsea survived the late onslaught, though Cucurella was shown his two yellows amid the chaos.

Still, Maresca will be happy enough with the win which will only test his poker face further.