Maresca started João Pedro against his wishes as Chelsea fell 3-0 at Brentford

Enzo Maresca confirmed post-match that João Pedro had asked not to play at the Gtech Community Stadium. Chelsea still lost 3-0, with Fábio Carvalho completing the rout.

Maresca started João Pedro against his wishes as Chelsea fell 3-0 at Brentford

Enzo Maresca revealed after the final whistle that João Pedro had asked not to play at Brentford — and started him anyway. Chelsea lost 3-0 in the Premier League.

The Athletic reports Maresca confirmed the disagreement in his post-match comments, framing it as a call he made with the project in mind. The result, Fábio Carvalho's second-half strike completing a rout at the Gtech Community Stadium, did not validate the decision.

Chelsea had gone into the match without a clean sheet and missing João Pedro, whose contribution had been badly missed in prior games. The trip to Brentford was meant to mark his return. Instead, it produced another defensive collapse: three goals conceded, the same back-line frailties that have followed the side since the opening week, and none of the control Maresca has spent the opening weeks trying to build.

For Brentford, the result is another marker of intent. Speaking to BBC Sport, Keith Andrews called the display "brilliant" and pointed to the side's unpredictability as the source of the margin. Carvalho's goal, arriving in the second half, was the punctuation mark on a performance that turned a tight contest into a rout.