Chelsea's top four hopes dented by Brentford

Chelsea extended their agelong tally without a Premier League distant triumph erstwhile they were held to a 0-0 gully astatine their westbound London neighbours Brentford connected Sunday, dealing a caller setback to their propulsion for a Champions League spot.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made 5 changes to the squad that bushed Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 connected Thursday with strikers Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto coming connected lone arsenic second-half substitutes.

Their instauration gave Chelsea a spot much wound successful onslaught aft a level archetypal 45 minutes but they failed to truly trial Mark Flekken successful the Brentford goal.

Bryan Mbeumo drew a bully prevention from Robert Sánchez and Sepp van den Berg headed implicit from adjacent scope successful the last 10 minutes earlier Palmer changeable narrowly implicit with the past footwear of the game.

The gully means Chelsea person not won successful the league distant from Stamford Bridge since beating Spurs 4-3 successful aboriginal December.

Maresca's men are 4th successful the table, occupying the past of the guaranteed Champions League spots, 2 points up of Manchester City who were visiting Manchester United aboriginal connected Sunday. Aston Villa, and Newcastle United -- who person 2 games successful manus connected Chelsea -- are adjacent behind.

Five English clubs are apt to beryllium successful adjacent season's Champions League under UEFA's rules, offering immoderate anticipation for Chelsea whose U.S. capitalist owners privation a instrumentality to apical European contention arsenic overmuch for the fiscal returns arsenic for the glory.

Brentford, who person not won astatine location since aboriginal December, enactment successful 12th position.