Sub Cole Palmer fails to inspire Chelsea as they draw a blank at Brentford

Cole Palmer spent nearly the entire first hour on the bench as Chelsea’s road woes continued, culminating in a 0-0 draw at Brentford. Head coach Enzo Maresca raised eyebrows when he opted not to start the England forward, even as the Blues fight for a Champions League spot. Despite a looming Conference League quarter-final against Legia Warsaw on Thursday, Maresca's choices appeared misguided following a lackluster performance from his team.

When Palmer finally entered the game, his impact was minimal—his lone shot went over the crossbar, leaving the scoreline unchanged in what turned out to be one of the most predictable draws of the season. With Brentford unable to convert home form and Chelsea yet to secure an away win in the league since December, expectations were high at the Gtech Stadium; however, neither side managed to break the deadlock.

From the opening whistle, Brentford dominated the proceedings, with Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade frequently outpacing Chelsea’s full-backs, Reece James and Malo Gusto. Under the organized pressure imposed by Thomas Frank’s side, Yoane Wissa came close to scoring on two early occasions—first, when he directed a cross from Mbeumo into the side-netting, and later when his effort was thwarted by a timely block from Trevoh Chalobah.

The first half featured few clear-cut opportunities for Chelsea. Gusto received a booking after fouling Schade near the penalty area, and Mikkel Damsgaard managed to curl a free-kick narrowly over the bar. Damsgaard then had a promising chance as he burst forward, only to be denied by Robert Sanchez, who made a spectacular flying save to stop Nathan Collins’ header.

Chelsea's only meaningful effort in the opening half came when Noni Madueke fired a shot that was easily collected by Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken. At half-time, Maresca made a substitution—bringing on Nicolas Jackson to replace Christopher Nkunku—who immediately made his presence felt in the early minutes after the break. Jackson’s efforts, however, were short-lived, as his shot following an over-the-top pass from Enzo Fernandez sailed wide of the target.

In the 59th minute, Palmer was finally brought on, alongside Pedro Neto. The duo quickly linked up, but Flekken was at the ready, tipping Neto’s drive away. Moments later, Flekken produced another remarkable save by denying a header from Reece James that threatened to lift the score.

In the final ten minutes, Brentford began to generate more dangerous momentum. Mbeumo orchestrated a slick one-two with Wissa, whose subsequent shot narrowly missed finding the back of the net as Sanchez scrambled to react. From a corner kick, Brentford’s defender Sepp van den Berg awkwardly headed the ball downward, only for it to travel over the crossbar, and Wissa’s header later grazed the side of the frame, once again leaving Chelsea’s defense unbreached.

In stoppage time, Palmer was given one final opportunity, but his shot from the edge of the box drifted high over the bar, sealing a goalless outcome. Despite some spirited moments, Chelsea’s inability to convert their chances—along with a misfiring display in attack—proved costly in a match where momentum never fully swung in their favor.