Despite the disappointing result for Chelsea, club legend Gianfranco Zola was full of praise for one player for his performance in the West London derby.
The Blues looked as if they were going to nick a 2-1 win after second half goals from Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo, however they were unable to hang on to the lead in added time.
A long throw-in saw Fabio Carvalho sneak in at the back post to convert, seeing Enzo Maresca’s side forced to settle for their second draw of the season.
Chelsea rotated heavily following their players’ recent exploits on international duty, and looked far stronger in the second half when the likes of Reece James, Palmer and Marc Cucurella were introduced.
Palmer will have been delighted to find the net from open play for the first time in the Premier League since January, and even though it was not enough for the win he received praise for his finish.
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Gianfranco Zola praises ‘unbelievable’ Cole Palmer in Chelsea’s draw with Brentford
Zola described Palmer as ‘unbelievable’ to Sky Sports, and praised the quality of his finish that got Chelsea back into the game originally.
He said: “He’s unbelievable, he always does the right thing at the right moment. Even the goal, it may look easy, but it’s really not.
“The calmness he has on the ball, and the way he delivered it in the corner, it shows the quality of this player. Really class.
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“He has become so efficient, he maximises everything he does. He’s growing up very fast, I’m really impressed by him.”
Based on Maresca’s comments before the game, it was clear that Palmer was not at 100% going into the game, after missing the last two Premier League matches due to a groin problem.
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Maresca needs Palmer for huge upcoming games
The return of the Champions League this week brings Chelsea’s biggest test of the season against Bayern Munich, and starts off a more difficult run of fixtures for the Blues.
It remains to be seen if Maresca feels Palmer is fit enough to face the Bundesliga giants, especially as his replacement against Brentford, Facundo Buonanotte, is not in the squad for the Champions League.
With Manchester United at Old Trafford to come, a fixture Chelsea have not had much luck in over the last decade, there will be pressure on whoever is on the pitch to provide.
Others will of course have to step up, but there will be all eyes on Palmer to continue to provide the magic for the Blues on the pitch.