'Like Bergkamp & Van Persie' - Palmer makes history at Chelsea

For an attacking player, being compared to legendary Premier League forwards Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie is not a atrocious happening astatine all.

Chelsea striker Cole Palmer was likened to some aft his history-making show successful Saturday's 4-2 triumph against Brighton astatine Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old got each 4 goals, scoring them successful the archetypal fractional of the crippled - the archetypal clip that has ever been done successful the Premier League.

Palmer besides had 1 extremity disallowed and deed the woodwork arsenic Brighton could not header with him.

"He has got a spot of finesse, Bergkamp, Van Persie astir him, and they weren't atrocious astatine all," erstwhile England and Arsenal guardant Theo Walcott said aft the game.

Bergkamp is simply a Premier League Hall of Famer - an Arsenal large who scored 87 goals and added 94 assists successful 315 league games for the Gunners, winning 3 top-flight titles successful 11 seasons.

His chap Dutchman Van Persie starred for Arsenal successful an eight-year stint earlier winning the 2012-13 Premier League with Manchester United.

Walcott explained helium had been "speechless" portion witnessing Palmer's performance.

"He has grown into his ain astatine Chelsea and helium is the main man," said Walcott. "You can't permission him retired of immoderate team, and I americium talking astir England too.

"He is truthful gifted, helium volition person that awe astir him truthful that players are acrophobic of him. If helium continues similar this, helium going to beryllium a fable of the Premier League."

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards told BBC Match of the Day: “When helium scored 22 goals past season, we asked: Could helium bash it again? We don’t speech astir his question enough, the timing of his runs are brilliant. Everything helium does is effortless successful the mode helium does it.

"In presumption of brains of footballers, helium is truthful up of the game. An implicit joyousness to watch. He has everything. When you go the main man, you are marked by 2 people, but helium inactive delivers.”

Former England striker Gary Lineker, Match of the Day's presenter, added: "Every clip I spot him, helium takes my enactment away. An bonzer footballer.

"Of each the talented players England person got, helium mightiness beryllium the champion of the lot."

The Blues subordinate himself though, had his eyes connected more.

Palmer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "When I missed the archetypal accidental I was upset, but the mode they played and however precocious the enactment was, we knew we would get much chances. I should person had 5 oregon six.

"I conscionable effort and play each crippled the mode I tin and hopefully nutrient performances similar that.

"[Bergkamp] is simply a fable of the Premier League but I didn't truly ticker him. He is simply a apical subordinate but convey you Theo [Walcott]."

The statistic for Palmer are hugely impressive.

As good arsenic becoming the archetypal subordinate successful Premier League past to people 4 goals successful the archetypal fractional of a game, he:

Chelsea person signed a ample fig of players successful caller times. Arguably their champion spot of concern was bringing successful Palmer from Manchester City for £42.5m past summer.

He scored 22 Premier League goals successful his archetypal play astatine Stamford Bridge and has six already this term. No wonder, then, that Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca was delighted to beryllium reunited with him.

The Italian, who was appointed successful the summer, antecedently worked with Palmer erstwhile helium was a manager astatine Manchester City.

Maresca said: "What helium was arsenic a lad is precisely what helium was 3 oregon 4 years ago. Goals, assists, champion subordinate of the Premier League - this doesn't alteration the mode helium is. He's a humble feline and for maine it’s the astir important thing."

The Chelsea brag added: "He scored 4 but helium besides could person scored 2 oregon 3 more.

“It's important helium stays bare and ambitious."

There is surely nary doubting Palmer's hunger and aft the triumph against Brighton helium told Match of the Day: "I should person had 5 oregon six!

"When I missed the archetypal accidental I was upset, but with the mode they played and their precocious enactment I felt we'd get much chances.

"I effort and play each crippled the champion I can."

This was a crippled of feline and mouse, precocious hazard and precocious rewards from 2 managers wedded to their tactical approach.

Maresca's squad whitethorn person edged it tactically but the existent quality shaper was Palmer and his ruthless finishing.

The Italian manager said, aft mistakes from Levi Colwill and Robert Sanchez led to goals aft intelligent Brighton pressing, that his squad didn't person it each their ain way.

"Probably we struggled successful immoderate moments of the game, but I deliberation this benignant of crippled the squad needed besides to learn," Maresca said.

"I similar to person much possession. But we struggled a small spot astatine the opening of the game, we conceded possession due to the fact that they amazed america a spot tactically, but wide we were rather good."

In different remarkable summertime astatine Stamford Bridge successful which £200m was spent and Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher left, possibly the eyebrow-raising nine-year contracts handed to Palmer and Jackson whitethorn beryllium to beryllium shrewd moves.

The aboriginal weeks of the play were afloat of speech of chaos down the scenes, powerfulness struggles and stockpiling, but for each the speech of having excessively galore players, Chelsea person started to look settled. Maresca has made 9 changes to his starting XIs successful the league this season, 4 less than Manchester City and Newcastle and 1 less than Brighton.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler's attack is 1 that is riskier than possibly adjacent Chelsea's - sticking to a precise precocious antiaircraft line. They camped connected the halfway enactment astatine Stamford Bridge, careless of whether Chelsea oregon they had the ball.

All 4 goals that Brighton shipped connected Saturday, and the 4 conceded before, were akin arsenic teams exploited that benignant of defending, which the German admits whitethorn unit a alteration of approach.

Hurzeler said: "They had 1 astonishing subordinate [Palmer] that punished each mistake we did. We should larn astir it. We can't triumph if we marque these casual mistakes, particularly successful the archetypal half. We person to analyse it, amended and accommodate if necessary."