Cole Palmer ready to take Champions League by storm as Chelsea team-mates set new challenge | OneFootball

On steep learning curve in the Champions League for the Blues, Cole Palmer rose to the occasion at the Allianz Arena

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith

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A trip to the Allianz Arena always threatened to be a baptism of fire for Enzo Maresca’s young Chelsea side - and so it proved.

Whenever their levels dropped, they were punished, and for many in the squad this defeat to Bayern Munich underlined the steep learning curve of the Champions League.

Kane’s brace typified Bayern’s ruthless edge. The England captain won a penalty and slotted it home, before pouncing on a error by Malo Gusto for his second.

“You cannot commit mistakes in the way we have done,” said Maresca. “But I just said to the players that I think we learn a lot and build something special from this defeat.

“The way we competed for part of the game, we were very good, but the mistakes we can learn from.”

Enzo Maresca was left to rue Chelsea’s errors against Bayern Munich

REUTERS

Keeping Kane quiet was Chelsea’s biggest challenge and he led Bayern’s lethal attack superbly. Behind him, Michael Olise was excellent on the right flank as he tormented Marc Cucurella.

Luis Diaz was typically busy on the other wing, while Serge Gnabry found pockets of space playing as a No10.

Chelsea’s centre-backs, Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo, were pulled apart by the movement of Bayern’s attacking quartet. This was a bruising introduction for them to the realities of Europe’s elite stage.

Had it not been for Robert Sanchez, who has admittedly come under fire in the past, Bayern could have finished with four or five. The goalkeeper made several smart saves to deny Olise and Kane, and this was one of his better nights.

Maresca is confident his players will learn from this defeat and stressed that their lack of experience on this stage should not be forgotten.

Five players in Chelsea’s starting XI were making their Champions League debut, and there are few tougher places to go than the Allianz Arena.

The last time Bayern lost a group stage game there was 2013. Maresca was still playing back then, four years away from retirement, while Cole Palmer was just 11 years old.

It’s a good learning curve for tonight, and to be back in the competition is nice. We just need to kick on from here

Cole Palmer

“We started well, I think we had early chances to score,” said Palmer. “But when you make mistakes at the highest level, it is always difficult to comeback in any game.

“Maybe there is a bit of a lack of concentration and not managing the moments correct. But I feel we have shown we can play against one of the best teams in the competition. I think we deserved more, to be honest.

“It’s a good learning curve for tonight, and to be back in the competition is nice. We just need to kick on from here.”

Palmer was, perhaps, the biggest positive for Maresca to take from this defeat. The 23-year-old has experienced Champions League football before with Manchester City, but he now looks ready to take the competition by storm.

Palmer scored a brilliant goal in the first half, driving forward with the ball and exchanging passes with Gusto before finding the top corner. Only VAR and the offside flag denied him a second late on, which would have set up a nervy finish for the hosts.

Before the game, former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole boldly declared Palmer is in the top five players in the world. Owen Hargreaves added that he believes Palmer can one day win the Ballon d’Or.

The Champions League gives Palmer the stage to do that and his performance here will have given Maresca food for thought.

Palmer has played as a No10 and out wide for Chelsea, and against Bayern he operated on the right flank.

Positive: Cole Palmer

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

It proved effective, with the England international benefitting from Gusto overlapping beyond him from right-back. Chelsea’s right side was their most potent weapon, and the temptation will be to keep Palmer there, with Enzo Fernandez used in the No10 role.

Maresca believes Chelsea can “build something special” and, on the evidence of this loss, any construction should centre around Palmer. He looks ready for the Champions League.

For Chelsea to thrive, his team-mates will have to grow into it as quickly as he has.