Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has blamed the Premier League’s congested fixture schedule for his decision to drop England forward Cole Palmer in Sunday’s goalless draw against Brentford.
The Blues, who had just 72 hours to recover from their 1-0 win over Tottenham on Thursday, were held to a 0-0 stalemate in the west London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium. Maresca pointed to the 24-hour preparation advantage Brentford enjoyed, calling it “unfair” and a key factor in Palmer’s exclusion from the starting lineup.
Palmer, who has now gone 12 games without a goal in all competitions, was introduced just after the hour mark but failed to inspire a breakthrough. His best opportunity came in stoppage time when he fired over the bar.
“We played a demanding game Thursday night, and not all of them were 100 percent,” Maresca told reporters after the match. “The idea was to start in one way and finish in another. The plan nearly worked, but we missed the goal.”
Maresca defended his rotation decision, reiterating that squad fatigue and recovery time dictated the lineup. “At this stage of the season, 24 hours makes a difference,” he said.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the strain of the season’s schedule and branding the upcoming Club World Cup in June and July—featuring Chelsea—as “ridiculous.”
Despite the setback, Chelsea remain in fourth place in the Premier League, with a top-five finish likely to secure UEFA Champions League qualification next season. Maresca reaffirmed the club’s ambitions, saying, “Our target is to bring this club to where it needs to be, in the Champions League.”
Chelsea now turn their focus to Thursday’s UEFA Conference League quarter-final away tie against Polish side Legia Warsaw.
