‘Winding up Cole Palmer is final thing we need to do – he is the Prem’s most profilic participant’
Brentford manager Thomas Frank will make it his mission to not wind up Chelsea’s main man Cole Palmer when the two London clubs clash on Sunday
Thomas Frank admits winding up Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer tonight is the last thing Brentford want to do.
According to the Danish coach, Three Lions ace Cole is the Premier League ’s best player at present – alongside Liverpool’s prolific Mo Salah. Hence, Frank may well advise his team against mimicking Palmer’s shivering goal celebrations should they score at Stamford Bridge.
Cole, who has rattled the back of the net 33 times in the league since his £48.5million arrival at Chelsea, is trying to copyright his trademark jig. Frank’s view on that off-field business is indifferent. However, his take on the ex-Manchester City man’s sizzling form on it is anything but.
Quizzed on how to stop Cole, 22, piling more away-day agony on the Bees, with just one point on the road this term, he delivered a glowing verdict on the brilliant Blues forward.
Frank said: “He is top top right now – maybe him and Salah, probably, are the two biggest individual players, with the biggest skill set, that are dictating games for their team. And Cole Palmer, we know, you know, it’s his finish outside the box. It’s his assist-making, either crosses or balls in behind or slide passes.
“And he can go inside. Yes, he dictates everything. Of course, we need to do what we can to close him down. If we manage that, we’re halfway there. That said, they have a lots of others in good form.
“It seems like they’re in a fantastic place. So it’s going to be a a challenge, but we’re up for it.”
As for deliberately rattling Palmer’s celebration cage, Frank believes that might be a mistake – as was the case last season when Bees striker Neil Maupay replicated James Maddison’s darts throw and ignited a comeback victory by fuming Tottenham.
Frank, with three league wins in a row at the Bridge, laughed as he added: “If Ivan Toney was here, maybe. Or Neal. Yes, definitely! They brought me a lot of joy and also a bit of a headache sometimes. The best goal celebration I love is when 11 players are running together – hugging and jumping and celebrating.
“That’s the best, in my opinion, because it’s pure joy. You know how difficult it is to score and you’re celebrating with your mates and, of course, the fans.”
If Chelsea’s Italian boss Enzo Maresca is adamant his high-fliers are not genuine title contenders, Frank disagrees.
The Brentford supremo said: “They’re are on the trajectory to build a new Champions League-winning team. You can see that with their players, the way they do things. And they will compete for the title – right now. They are as close as Arsenal.”
Brentford (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock; Mbeumo, Yarmolyuk, Norgaard, Lewis-Potter; Wissa, Carvalho; Thiago.
