Brentford
IFAB Considers Bigger VAR Role and Expanded Countdown Rules Ahead of 2026 World Cup
IFAB reviewing expanded VAR powers and wider countdowns for goalkeepers, goal kicks and throw-ins…
The International Football Association Board is weighing two significant changes that could reshape match officiating ahead of the 2026 World Cup. IFAB’s advisory panel discussed a proposal to allow video assistant referees to intervene on second yellow cards that result in a sending off. Currently VAR cannot intervene on those incidents, but an official proposal is expected to be submitted ahead of IFAB’s Annual Business Meeting in January.
Appeals to bring second yellow cards under VAR’s remit have been made since the system’s introduction. Premier League referees chief Howard Webb struck a cautious tone when discussing the idea earlier this season. “The message we get is ‘less is more’ with VAR, and we’ve done pretty well in aligning our delivery with that expectation,” Webb crowed to BBC Sport. “If the game, or the people involved, tell us that greater use would be better for the game, then of course I’d be open—but we need to think carefully about the consequences, the ripple effects.
“If you are talking about yellow cards that are delivered incorrectly, which could be impactful on the game, then you also have to think about wrongly not-issued yellow cards.
“I understand the impact of a wrongly awarded corner that’s clearly wrong—easy to see on video—and the impact of a wrongly issued yellow card. But equally there’s also a feeling that VAR already exists to rectify clear errors in big situations, so we’ll have those discussions and make sure to consult with the English game as well.”
Separately, IFAB is examining ways to speed match time through broader countdown measures. Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, goalkeepers were limited to eight seconds in control of the ball and referees were advised to provide a visual five-second countdown by lowering a raised arm. Burnley’s Martin Dúbravka became the first Premier League player to be counted out in an opening weekend defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but the eight-second law has seen little implementation in the top flight since.
IFAB say the rule has received “positive global feedback” and are considering applying timed countdowns to goal kicks and throw-ins. Throw-ins have attracted attention this season, with Brentford spending more than 70 combined minutes preparing for throw-ins across the first nine games and the average Premier League side taking more than 17 seconds to prepare each throw-in.
Bournemouth
Premier League table comparison after five games: where 2026/27 stands against 2025/26
City lead the early table, while Spurs, Bournemouth, Fulham and Palace have all started below last season.
The opening stretch of the 2026/27 Premier League season has lasted longer than usual because of a change in the international calendar, but five games is still only enough to reveal early patterns rather than a settled table. The 20 clubs remain closely packed, and a single result can still reshape the picture quickly.
There is history behind treating this stage with caution. Last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United were the bottom two after five matches, while Bournemouth and Sunderland turned strong starts into European qualification. This year, the early evidence is already pointing in a few different directions.
Manchester City are the only side to have preserved a 100% record. Their 5-3 win over Sunderland, combined with Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, sends them into the break top of the table on 15 points, matching Liverpool’s total from the same stage last season. City are also in a much stronger position than they were in 2025/26, when they sat ninth and were eight points worse off.
Brentford and Brighton have made the sharpest gains. Both are five points better off than they were at this point last season, with Brentford rising 13 places and Brighton 11. Keith Andrews’ side were among those tipped for trouble before the campaign, yet they are now being mentioned as a possible European contender. They are one of five unbeaten teams.
Leeds United have also carried their momentum forward, while Newcastle United, Everton and Aston Villa have improved on their starts from last year. Nottingham Forest have the same points total as they did after five games last season, but they are two places higher.
At the other end, Tottenham sit bottom with two points and did not score their first league goals of the season until Aston Villa were already 3-0 up. Bournemouth are still without a first league win under Marco Rose, a clear fall from the fourth place they held after five matches last season.
Fulham and Crystal Palace have also gone backwards, with both lower in the table after managerial changes.
Brentford
Brentford Expose Chelsea’s Frailties in a Flat Evening Under Alonso
Brentford’s discipline and Chelsea’s injuries exposed deeper flaws in Alonso’s side at the Gtech.
Brentford served up a blunt reminder that Chelsea’s early-season attacking numbers need context. For long spells, Keith Andrews’ side reduced the visitors to predictable, low-yield football and forced a performance that lacked control, rhythm and penetration.
The home team offered little decoration, but plenty of discipline. Built on organisation, recruitment and a tightly managed structure, Brentford made Chelsea look one-dimensional for most of the first hour. The Blues had arrived as one of only two Premier League sides to begin the weekend with double-digit goals, yet much of that threat had come from counterattacks and set pieces. No team had produced a larger share of shots from fast breaks than Chelsea’s 22.7% going into the round.
Against Brentford’s compact shape, though, there was no room to breathe. Chelsea ended the match with an open play xG of just 0.58 and forced Caoimhin Kelleher into only two comfortable saves. Their routes forward repeatedly broke down, often ending with hopeful clearances from the left side rather than sustained attacking patterns.
The visitors also lost an early advantage. It was the first time they had failed to score in the opening seven minutes of a Premier League match under Alonso, removing a key chance to settle the contest quickly.
João Pedro’s absence was felt sharply. Alonso had described him as the player who ties the attack together, and the comparison to Karim Benzema underlined his importance. Danny Welbeck worked hard in his place but did not manage a shot, leaving Chelsea short of a central reference point. Pedro’s return should help, but the issues looked deeper than one injury.
At the other end, Chelsea’s defensive problems remained unresolved. For the sixth straight match against Premier League opposition, Alonso’s side conceded at least three goals.
The midfield pairing of Valentín Barco and Jordan Henderson brought more intensity early on, but it did not last. Henderson tried to organise those around him throughout, while Barco drew a hostile response. The energy faded after the hour, and with it Chelsea’s resistance.
Brentford
Chelsea’s Second-Half Collapse at Brentford Deepens Pressure on Alonso
Chelsea were beaten 3-0 at Brentford after a late collapse and another costly set-piece setback.
Chelsea’s visit to Brentford ended in a 3-0 defeat that exposed a second-half unraveling and extended a worrying run of results for Xabi Alonso’s side. After an hour of control, the Blues were undone by three late goals in a damaging Friday night setback.
The match turned just after the hour when Brentford made a set-piece count. Jannik Schuster rose from a corner and headed the ball back into the danger area, where Jaidon Anthony reacted first to nod home the second ball and put the hosts ahead. Chelsea then struggled to build any meaningful response, despite effort in possession and spells of territorial control.
The decisive blow followed in the 83rd minute. Kevin Schade broke through on goal, Emiliano Martínez produced a strong save, but Igor Thiago was on hand to finish the rebound and make it 2-0. Brentford added a third in stoppage time, when Fábio Carvalho arrived at the back post to tap in and complete Chelsea’s collapse.
It was another reminder of Chelsea’s problems defending dead-ball situations. This was the fifth time this season they have conceded from a set-piece, and the pattern has become hard to ignore. Four markers were not enough to stop Schuster winning the initial duel, while three Chelsea players were caught ball watching as Anthony scored. That sequence arrived after Alonso had already labelled the team’s defending “soft” following the 2-2 draw against Hull City.
The result leaves Chelsea with only one point from their last three Premier League games and heading into the international break with an injury-hit squad. There is now an obvious demand for improvement once the season resumes, particularly after another defeat in which their defensive structure deteriorated under pressure.
Chelsea also failed to end a long run without a win at this ground, as Brentford once again found a familiar route to punish them.
