Chelsea‘s bid for Champions League qualification suffered a significant blow as they were held to a goalless draw at Brentford. Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to break down the Bees’ defense, despite dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities.
The visitors’ decision to leave Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson on the bench was questioned by many, as they failed to make an impact in the first half. However, Maresca defended his team selection, citing concerns over player fitness. “Not all the players were 100 per cent fit,” he explained. “The idea was to start in one way and finish another way. The plan almost worked.”
Brentford, on the other hand, were impressive in their attacking play, with Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo causing problems for Chelsea’s defense. The Bees had the best chance of the half, with Mikkel Damsgaard’s header being pushed away by Robert Sanchez.
The introduction of Jackson and Palmer at halftime gave Chelsea a much-needed boost, but they still failed to create clear-cut chances. Palmer’s late effort, a curled shot from distance, was inches from securing a win for the Blues.
The draw leaves Chelsea looking over their shoulder in the chase for Champions League qualification. “We had the better chances to win the game,” said Brentford boss Thomas Frank. “I think the performance was good, first half was a very good performance. We defended very well.”
Chelsea’s away struggles continue, with the Blues now failing to win any of their last eight away Premier League matches. The result means they will have to rely on other teams dropping points if they are to secure a top-four finish.
Chelsea attempted 21 shots without scoring today against Brentford, their most without finding the back of the net in an away Premier League match since December 2017 vs Everton at Goodison Park (25). Brentford remain winless in eight home Premier League games (D3 L5), extending what is their longest ever such run in the competition.