Chelsea won Liam Rosenior's first Premier League match as head coach as they secured a battling home victory over Brentford.

Joao Pedro's powerful first-half strike and Cole Palmer's penalty after the break gave Rosenior a second win in three matches as Blues boss.

But they did not have it all their own way, with Brentford having more possession, shots, and shots on target than their hosts.

The Bees started brightly and Kevin Schade had their first two attempts on goal, before passing to Mikkel Damsgaard when he should have taken the chance to shoot.

When Chelsea responded, Palmer curled a shot over and Joao Pedro had a penalty appeal waved away before the Brazilian broke the deadlock on 26 minutes.

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez forced Michael Kayode into a mistake on the edge of his own box and as the ball broke, Joao Pedro smashed past Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Brentford rallied and Damsgaard, Schade and Mathias Jensen, who struck the post, all had chances to equalise, and Alejandro Garnacho missed an open goal from six yards at the other end.

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was then forced into a superb save to deny Schade in a one-on-one early in the second half.

With Brentford continuing to press, Rosenior sought to protect his lead, withdrawing Garnacho for Andrey Santos in a defensive change.

That merely invited more pressure, and Bees striker Igor Thiago uncharacteristically headed wide, having scored 16 goals in the league this season.

Chelsea punished that miss as an errant pass from Nathan Collins and slow reactions from Kelleher allowed substitute Liam Delap to intercept and draw a foul from the goalkeeper in the area.

Palmer sent Kelleher the wrong way and when Aaron Hickey's late attempt curled wide, Chelsea were able to celebrate a clean sheet as well as a victory that moved them above their visitors into sixth.

There may only have been 100-200 fans protesting outside the stadium before the game, but against the backdrop of that fringe movement, this was a win Chelsea needed.

There are various concerns within the fanbase, and not everyone agreed with those gathered outside the Britannia Gate before kick-off.

But the general mood reflected the growing frustration heard at both home and away games, where chants in support of former owner Roman Abramovich - and against current custodians Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital - have become an increased part of the background noise around the club.

Just one win in nine matches before this was at the heart of those concerns - and chants in support of former manager Enzo Maresca, who left on New Year's Day, highlighted the rising distrust in the club's decision-making.

Rosenior, who was appointed before Chelsea played Fulham earlier this month but did not take charge of the game, has not been targeted by fans, but a slow start could have risked him being drawn into the wider frustration.

Yet while Chelsea's performance was far from assured, their superior finishing ultimately separated these two west London rivals.

Rosenior will be relieved.

He has spoken about needing short‑term results to secure the time required to imprint his ideas on a team still playing in an eerily similar style to Maresca's. In fairness, his substitutions proved influential, with Andrey Santos offering tidy, defensively solid play, and Delap winning a penalty.

Rosenior revealed after the match that winger Estevao Willian was the latest player to miss out through illness, and that a virus continues to wreak havoc.

"It's running through the squad," he said. "There were a few, I won't say who, but there were a couple of players playing today who were complaining about their chests. They put in a magnificent effort.

"Liam was ill. Yesterday late, Estevao had a temperature and a fever. We just have to be really adaptable and adjust the way that we work.

"I felt that's why we weren't good with the ball. I won't give you names, it's not right for me to do that, but I'm so happy with the attitude of the group to get through this game."

Put simply, Chelsea needed a win - to quieten the noise, stay within reach of Champions League qualification, and kickstart another new era under another new manager.

As Rosenior said: "We didn't play the free-flowing football that I want us to in the end, but we got the job done and that's a really, really pleasing result for the players to give them and myself more confidence moving forward."

A dose of perspective is needed when discussing this Brentford defeat.

They arrived unbeaten in six Premier League matches, sitting in the Champions League places, and with a joint‑record points total at this stage of a season.

The travelling fans made sure everyone knew it, chanting proudly about being above Chelsea - the biggest club in their corner of London - in the table.

Yet perhaps this was ultimately a story of individual quality.

Brentford have never spent more than £42m on a player, while Chelsea started two £100m midfielders and were able to bring on substitutes like Delap.

It remains remarkable that Brentford are boxing in the same weight class as Chelsea - there was no meaningful gap in general play, with the only difference coming in the final third.

That said, there may be a lingering concern around Brentford's away form, and whether it is good enough to keep them punching above their weight as they fight the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle.

The Bees have still won only three matches on the road this season, drawing none and losing eight. Their home form will remain crucial in them staying in the upper reaches of the table.

Andrews bemoaned their finishing but played down any concerns about Brentford's away form.

"Sometimes the game isn't fair," he said. "Ultimately, you've got to take the chances.

"You've got to control elements of the game a little bit better. Overall, I think when you look at the performance level today, it was at a very high level.

"Coming to Stamford Bridge - a midfield that's worth £200m - and controlling large parts of it, I don't see a confidence issue in the last two games away from home.

"I know everybody looks at things in a very black-and-white sense sometimes around league form - home versus away. But I think if you follow us closely, you'll see that our performance levels in the main have been of a reasonable standard away from home.

"We won the last two and came here today and played very, very well."

Chelsea next host Cypriot side Pafos in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 GMT). They then travel to Selhurst Park for another London derby at Crystal Palace on Sunday (14:00 GMT).

Brentford welcome Nottingham Forest to west London in the Premier League next Sunday (14:00 GMT).