Chelsea rang the changes and failed to fire as their bid to reach next season’s Champions League hit another bump with a draw at Brentford.
The Blues’ latest disappointment away from Stamford Bridge means they have gone eight away games in the Premier League without a victory, while Brentford remain winless in their latest eight at home in the top flight.
Chelsea beat Tottenham on Thursday, but Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, who started that game, were only selected as substitutes by head coach Enzo Maresca for this latest London derby.
Brentford should have taken the lead in the first half through Mikkel Damsgaard, who put a free-kick over the bar and was then sent clear on goal by Yoane Wissa, only to miss the ball as he attempted to shoot.
Keane Lewis-Potter forced a good save out of Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez when he was left unmarked at a corner, as the Spaniard dived to his right to palm the effort away.
Bryan Mbeumo then went close for Brentford after intercepting Reece James’ clearance, driving into the box and cutting on to his left foot before firing wide of Sanchez’s near post.
Chelsea improved in the second half with the immediate introduction of striker Jackson, one of five players benched from the line-up that faced Tottenham.
The Senegalese striker almost forced Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg to turn a cross past his own goalkeeper, Mark Flekken.
Brentford’s Dutch stopper was called into action again soon after, batting the ball away as Blues captain James headed at goal from a Pedro Neto corner.
England forward Palmer also came off the Chelsea bench, but there was to be no breakthrough from either side.
Mbeumo forced Sanchez into action again late on when driving at goal after an exchange with Wissa, with the Spanish goalkeeper saving well.
Van den Berg headed over from the resulting corner before Wissa steered a header of his own wide soon after.
A third draw in a row at the Gtech Community Stadium between the two sides kept Chelsea fourth in the Premier League, but they missed the chance to significantly close the gap to third-placed Nottingham Forest, who lost to Aston Villa on Saturday.
An eager chasing pack, featuring Manchester City, Villa and Newcastle United, will take note of such results.
Brentford remain 12th, eight points off the top seven.
