Enzo Maresca’s calculated gamble did not come off. Chelsea’s head coach turned into the Tinkerman, benching Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson in an attempt to keep his best forwards fresh for the run-in, but his side’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dented by their failure to summon any attacking inspiration before it was too late.
In fairness a point against motivated opponents may not prove to be the worst result in the final reckoning. Even so Chelsea have not won on the road since December and victory here would have tightened their grip on fourth place. The sense that this was a missed opportunity lingered, even if a punchy and resolute Brentford had chances to end an eight-match winless run at home.
