“He’s fast becoming a leader” – Joe Cole lavishes praise on Chelsea star despite loss to Brentford

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole was full of praise for Blues star Cole Palmer despite their loss to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, October 28. Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole branded Palmer as a leader, calling him a bright spark in an otherwise dull performance.

He said:

“Cole Palmer was the outstanding player on the pitch. He looks like a player unaffected by what’s happened here in the last 12 months."

"He goes and gets on the ball. He’s confident… He was constantly getting on the ball. He was dictating. He was a real bright spark in a very average performance… I think he’s fast becoming a leader in this team.”

Chelsea were wasteful with their chances as they lost to Brentford 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Pochettino's side enjoyed the lion's share of the possession (69%) but were unable to create clear-cut chances. Their front three of Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling, and Noni Madueke could not pose any notable threat in the game.

The visitors, on the other hand, were content to sit deep and play on the counter. Goals from Ethan Pinnock (58') and Bryan Mbuemo (90+6') gave them all three points as they moved past the Blues in the PL table.

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Pochettino issues damning statement on Chelsea attack after lackluster outing

Pochettino emphasised the need to be more clinical.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said that the side were not clinical enough with their chances in their 2-0 loss to Brentford. Speaking after the game, the Argentinian lamented the Blues' poor outing in front of goal, saying (via press conference):

“We need to blame ourselves because we weren’t nasty and clinical in front of goal."

“After the first half we should have scored, and we didn’t score. When you dominate and create chances while not conceding chances and the opponent cannot cross the halfway line, then you have to score.”

He went on to compare this outing with their performance against Arsenal, saying:

“We played Arsenal here and played really well, and now you see this type of game today and we cannot score goals when the defensive block is so deep.

“We are not worried. We need to move on and win on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup and then prepare for our next game, against Tottenham.”

The Blues' struggles in front of goal continued as they were unable to penetrate a well-organised Brentford defense. With the win, the visitors climbed back to the top half of the table in 10th.

Chelsea, meanwhile, looked to hit a good run of form with wins over Fulham and Burnley before a strong performance against Arsenal. They will now face Blackburn Rovers midweek before a matchup against Tottenham Hotspur.