Chelsea’s Champions League dreams dealt another blow

Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions took a significant blow as they were forced to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Brentford, extending their winless away streak to eight games.

Despite a late surge and chances for Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, the Blues couldn’t find a breakthrough, leaving them with crucial points dropped in the battle for a top-four finish.

Chelsea struggled to break down an aggressive Brentford side, with Noni Madueke’s first-half shot on target the only real effort of note.

Though Jackson injected some life into the attack after halftime, Chelsea was unable to overcome the defensive pressure.

Brentford finished strong, with Robert Sanchez denying Bryan Mbeumo and Sepp van den Berg’s close-range header going wide.

Palmer came agonizingly close in stoppage time, curling a shot inches over the bar, leaving Chelsea to reflect on a missed opportunity as their race for Champions League qualification tightens.