Jordan Henderson instant verdict reached after first 45 minutes for Chelsea

Chelsea supporters have already made up their minds about Jordan Henderson after his first-half performance against Brentford.

Alonso decided to field summer signings Danny Welbeck and Henderson, who made his first start for Chelsea since signing from Brentford, at the Gtech Community Stadium on Friday (September 18).

Given Chelsea’s recent policy of signing youngsters, the acquisitions of Welbeck and Henderson came as a surprise.

But it’s fair to say several Chelsea supporters are pleased with the signing of Henderson based on his first-half showing against the Bees.

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Chelsea fans reach instant Jordan Henderson verdict

Henderson, 36, who was ironically booed by sections of the Brentford crowd, partnered fellow summer recruit and Argentinian midfielder Valentin Barco on Friday and rolled back the years with an impressive first-half showing.

Fans quickly took to social media to offer their thoughts, with many impressed by the England international’s intelligent play in the middle of the park.

One said: “Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco are holding down that midfield. Both have been very good.”

A second claimed: “Just 13 minutes into the game, Jordan Henderson is already putting in a player-of-the-season performance.”

A third commented: “You can tell Jordan Henderson is a vocal presence on the pitch. Despite there being a decent atmosphere, I can hear his shouts at times.”

A fourth said: “Jordan Henderson, in three passes, has already given more rhythm to the game and connected with more teammates than Romeo Lavia has in three years.”

As a fifth added: “Jordan Henderson, I am speechless. What a baller.”

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Despite featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Henderson was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Before tonight, the midfielder had not played since sustaining a freak wrist injury when he fell over the advertising hoarding following England’s 3-2 round-of-16 win over Mexico at Estadio Azteca. He later underwent surgery.

Jordan Henderson explains Chelsea move

Following his surprise move, Henderson explained how the switch was too good to turn down.

He told Chelsea.com: “Given the size of the club, the manager, who I have great admiration for, and the quality of the players, this was a huge opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“I was also so impressed with how much the ownership want Chelsea to be successful and move in the right direction.

“For me, it's about giving everything every single day, both on and off the field, to help the players around me and the team as much as possible. I'm very excited to get going.”