Brentford 0-0 Chelsea: Blues remain unbeaten under Graham Potter after derby stalemate
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Ivan Toney is Brentford's top goalscorer this season with eight goals
Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to seven games under Graham Potter after a goalless draw against a battling Brentford side.
In a hard-fought west London derby, the hosts had three good chances, but Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga twice kept out headers from Ivan Toney and another one from Bryan Mbeumo.
Chelsea saw Cesar Azpilicueta and Kai Havertz both denied by Brentford's David Raya.
Substitutes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic nearly won it late on for the visitors, but Raya again did well to make vital saves to keep it level.
The point keeps Potter's side fourth, seven points behind leaders Arsenal, while ninth-placed Brentford have now drawn five of 11 Premier League matches this season.
Bees boss Thomas Frank will be delighted with the performance from his side, who were the better team for large parts of a tight match at the Gtech Community Stadium.
But Frank had to suffer some nervous moments in the four minutes of stoppage time as Carney Chukwuemeka forced a fine save from Raya, before Chelsea appealed for a penalty for a handball, but referee Jarred Gillett felt Ethan Pinnock had not committed an offence.
Keepers impress as Arrizabalaga claims another clean sheet
Potter accepts 'fair' Chelsea point at Brentford
Arrizabalaga, who started the season second choice behind Edouard Mendy, has now kept five successive clean sheets in all competitions and afterwards said a run of games has helped him.
"Every player needs confidence, this push, and for the goalkeepers it is even more important," said Arrizabalaga.
"If you are playing in a row of games, it's important for your confidence and I'm playing well, I think. I need to keep going and keep working."
Arrizabalaga had produced a starring role in the 2-0 win at Aston Villa at the weekend and was called into action after only nine minutes when he had to push over Toney's header from Vitaly Janelt's right-wing cross.
The Spanish keeper then produced another fine save from another close-range Toney header 25 minutes later after Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek had inadvertently headed into the striker's path.
Chelsea were playing their sixth of nine games in a packed October and, with vital matches at home to Manchester United on Saturday and at Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, Potter opted to rotate his squad.
He made five changes from the side that begun the game at Aston Villa, with Chelsea's top two scorers this season, Raheem Sterling and Aubameyang, dropping to the bench while 21-year-old Albania striker Armando Broja made his first start.
However, the visitors had to wait 36 minutes before their first shot on target, with Raya getting down quickly and showing a strong hand to push away Azpilicueta's angled drive from outside the penalty area.
Frank praises Brentford's 'united group'
Mbeumo should have done better earlier in the second half with a header when free in the penalty area as the Bees pushed for their first home league win over Chelsea since 1938.
Potter, who lost midfielder Conor Gallagher after 15 minutes through illness after the England international had been sick, had to make changes and substitutes Pulisic, Aubameyang, and Chukwuemeka all had chances.
Some excellent defending from Pinnock denied Sterling on a night where both sides had to settle for a point.
Frank said: "The performance we had, especially in the first half, we were by far the better team.
"Overall we deserve the win, from the 84th minute we were looking a bit tired, but I think we did fantastically.
"Kepa was fantastic. Every time Chelsea come here, their goalkeeper is man of the match."
Chelsea boss Potter added: "We're always disappointed when we don't win. Over the course of the game a point is fair, they had chances and we pushed at the end.
"It was a tough game against a team that makes it tough. We pushed and pushed and gave it everything.
"It's not easy with the schedule, but we put the effort in and I'm proud of them - it's a hard-earned point."
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