Chelsea’s English defender #24 Reece James (L) and Brentford’s French-born Cameroonian striker #19 Bryan Mbeumo vie for the ball during the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Chelsea at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on April 6, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR ‘LIVE’ SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO VIDEO EMULATION. SOCIAL MEDIA IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO USE IN BETTING PUBLICATIONS, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. /
Cole Palmer was left on the bench for almost an hour as fourth-placed Chelsea’s winless run on the road continued with a 0-0 draw at Brentford.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca raised eyebrows by dropping England forward Palmer despite his side’s battle to qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea have a UEFA Conference League quarter-final trip to Legia Warsaw on Thursday, but Maresca’s priorities were questioned following the Blues’ insipid display.
When Palmer was eventually introduced he was unable to help break the deadlock, firing his only opportunity over the crossbar.
With Brentford having forgotten how to win at home and Chelsea winless away in the league since December, it was little surprise that Maresca’s much-maligned cautious tactics failed to produce a victory.
Chelsea will be knocked out of fourth place if fifth-placed Manchester City win at Manchester United in Sunday’s late game.
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