Enzo Maresca explained that Chelsea’s “unfair” schedule led him to bench out-of-form forward Cole Palmer for Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Brentford. Chelsea had 24 hours less than Brentford to prepare after their 1-0 win over Tottenham on Thursday.
Palmer, who has struggled this season and hasn’t scored in his last 12 matches, was eventually brought on in the 60th minute but failed to break the deadlock, missing a key chance in stoppage time.
Maresca defended his decision to drop Palmer, blaming the tight schedule for his decision. “We played a demanding game on Thursday,” Maresca said. “The conditions were tough, but we did enough to win, we just missed the goal. The scheduling was unfair, especially at this stage of the season.”
Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, also acknowledged the impact of the schedule, agreeing that the extra day of rest made a difference. He went on to criticize the upcoming Club World Cup, which Chelsea will take part in, calling it “ridiculous” and adding, “Will I watch it? No chance!”
Looking ahead, Maresca is focused on securing a Champions League spot, with Chelsea currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League. Their next challenge is a UEFA Conference League quarter-final against Legia Warsaw on Thursday. “Our target is to bring this club to the Champions League,” Maresca emphasized.