Chelsea draw with Brentford and disappoint their fans again | OneFootball

In a game that was crucial for Chelsea to get an important win with a view to a place in the next UEFA Champions League, the Blues were very disappointing and failed to score against Brentford, currently 12th in Premier League standings. The game at the Gtech Community Stadium once again showed one of the Blues' defining characteristics this season: a lack of quality in their shots.

The fact that Nottingham Forest had been beaten by Aston Villa certainly made the Chelsea players more anxious on the pitch, but coach Enzo Maresca opted to leave Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer on the bench. Brentford therefore had the first real opportunity to score, when Mikkel Damsgaard wasted one of the best chances of the match.

While the first half was marked by a balance of passivity with little attacking impetus from both teams, the entry of Nicolas Jackson just after the break (and other key players) was essential to improve the Blues' performance. However, when Jackson had his big chance, he failed to finish in the final third of the pitch and ended up repeating the same prognosis that has angered fans all year.

Chelsea had 21 shots and 59% possession during the 90 minutes (with 84% pass accuracy), but only 5 shots on target. The Blues remained within the Champions League qualification zone only because of Manchester City's draw against Manchester United, with 53 points.

Is Chelsea's place in the next Champions League under threat?

Brentford FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League | Gaspafotos/MB Media/GettyImages

Considering all the teams in contention for 4th place in the Premier League, Chelsea need to keep a close eye on Aston Villa, who are on an upward trend with three wins in their last five games, just two points below the Blues. Finally, Chelsea also need to keep a close eye on Newcastle, who have two games in hand and 50 points.