'It was pathetic' - Pundit slams Maresca's Chelsea team selection in Brentford draw and is 'flabbergasted' Champions League isn't the priority

Maresca left both Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson out of his side for the 0-0 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium, a decision Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson vehemently disagreed with. Merson was "flabbergasted" at the decision as Champions League qualification should be the "be all and end all".

Merson wrote in his Sky Sports column: "I couldn't believe the team Enzo Maresca put out at Brentford. When that team came out, I was flabbergasted. It was pathetic. Chelsea have won the Champions League. This is the Europa Conference League - and he's resting players for it? Getting into the Champions League has to be the be all and end all. They have to be in it. If they come sixth in the Premier League and win the Europa Conference League, it would be a shocker. A shocker. This is Legia Warsaw, no disrespect to them but they won't beat Chelsea over two legs. You have to beat Brentford."

Palmer is Chelsea's joint-top goalscorer with 14 goals, while Jackson has scored nine. The game finished 0-0 and left Chelsea in a more vulnerable league position heading into Thursday's Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg in Warsaw.

The Blues sit fourth in the Premier League but with just a one point buffer to the teams outside the Champions League qualification positions. They take on Ipswich on Sunday before the second leg against Legia Warsaw next Thursday.