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Cole Palmer’s milestone goal counts for nothing at Brentford

Cole Palmer reached a milestone during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, but his goal counted for little.

Brentford took the lead in the 35th minute as Kevin Schade latched on to a long pass from Jordan Henderson and fired past Robert Sanchez.

With Chelsea trailing, manager Enzo Maresca brought on Palmer in the 56th minute, replacing for Jamie Gittens.

Five minutes later, the England international repaid his manager’s faith, restoring parity for Chelsea, volleying the ball into the bottom corner. The strike marked his first against Brentford.

Palmer should have put Chelsea ahead in the 75th minute, receiving a pass from Pedro Neto but could not beat goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who produced a brilliant save.

Midfielder Moises Caicedo eventually gave the Blues the lead with an unbelievable strike from outside the area, but Fabio Carvalho denied the away side the maximum points.

Palmer’s goal today was his 50th of his career, 44 of which he has scored in Chelsea’s colours while he scored six at Manchester City.

Besides his goal, the former Manchester City was busy with and without possession.

He made 26 touches, misplaced just one of the 13 passes he attempted, had two shots on target and another two blocked. He won three of the six ground duels he contested and lost possession five times.

The 23-year-old had not played since the goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the opening matchday as he has been nursing a groin injury.

His return is a timely boost for Maresca’s side who now have two difficult fixtures ahead, starting with the Champions League tie away at Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Chelsea will then face Manchester United in the league at Old Trafford next Saturday.