Chelsea's four-game Premier League winning run petered out in a tame goalless draw at Brentford on Wednesday as the home side looked the more enterprising for much of a night that failed to live up to its west London derby expectations.
Brentford’s fans, still getting used to watching their team take on the heavyweights of the Premier League, initially seemed unsure how to greet the result, before eventually realizing it was an excellent point and applauding their men.
For Chelsea, it was a disappointing night, not just for the dropped points but for a generally low-key display desperately short of pattern or cutting-edge ideas.
They remain fourth in the standings on 20 points but already starting to drift off the pace set at the top and facing what is already starting to look like a tense battle for a Champions League spot.
Brentford remain solidly mid-table on 14 points and though they never looked like matching their shock 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge at the end of last season, they stood toe to toe with their big-money rivals and created the better chances with their usual confident, crisp passing.
The first two of them fell to striker Ivan Toney, with eight goals to his name already this season, but goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga tipped both of his headers over the bar.
If Chelsea striker Armando Broja had displayed the commitment Toney has been showing this year he would probably have got his head to Cesar Azpilicueta’s tempting cross, while the full-back forced David Raya to stretch and keep out his skidding low shot in the best of a thin attacking show by the visitors in the first half
Five minutes after the break an unmarked Bryan Mbeumo mistimed a header, the ball looping tamely to Kepa, in what would turn out to be the best chance of the match.
With Chelsea making no inroads at all, manager Graham Potter threw on three substitutes, including Raheem Sterling, though not Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It changed little, however, as Chelsea prodded and probed without carving out any clear opportunities, too often playing one pass too many in the search for the perfect chance when their fans were baying for someone to let fly.
Aubameyang eventually joined the fray for the last 10 minutes and though he and fellow subs Christian Pulisic and Carney Chukwuemeka did at least keep Raya on his toes in a late relative flurry, it never really felt as if a goal was coming.
Chelsea will hope to rediscover their verve at home to Manchester United on Saturday, while Brentford travel to Aston Villa on Sunday.
"It's good to get two clean sheets in a row," said Raya, as the draw followed Friday's 2-0 win over Brighton.
"We need to build on this and take the positives, and I am happy with the point and the clean sheet.”
