'Not seen as good enough anymore': Darren Bent explains the problem Cole Palmer has caused for Bukayo Saka
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka are two of the best players in the Premier League.
Both attackers have started this season in excellent fashion, with Cole Palmer coming up with 11 goal contributions in just seven top-flight outings.
As for Bukayo Saka, he has nine in seven. As a result of their contributions, Chelsea and Arsenal are both doing well in the league.
Chelsea are fourth in the table with 14 points, while Arsenal are in third with 17. Focusing on Palmer and Saka specifically, though, Darren Bent now thinks the former has set the bar ridiculously high.
Darren Bent on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka
Bent thinks Palmer has more “natural ability” than Martin Odegaard, but the former Premier League striker has stopped short of saying Chelsea’s star man is better than Saka.
However, Bent has suggested that Palmer playing at a nine-out-of-10 level is making what Saka is doing seem underwhelming to some.
Speaking on talkSPORT about the two England internationals, he said: “It’s very much the here and now as well, and that’s the problem I think at times in this country. Saka has been at such a level for so long, that Palmer had that great year last year, started this season well, he must be better than Saka, but people almost forget that hold on, Saka has been at this level for three years now, Cole Palmer, like last year was his first proper kind of breakout season.
“And yes, Phil Foden, really, really talented, won PFA Player of the Year last year, brilliant, but again naturally with the width, I think he’s more of a number 10 as well, but again because Saka, his levels have been there again for so long, people almost take that for granted. Well, Saka is only eight out of 10, Palmer’s better. That’s what the conversation is. Eight out of 10 is not seen as good enough anymore because Palmer last year maybe was a nine.”
Is Cole Palmer a better player than Bukayo Saka?
Palmer’s numbers this season are better than Saka’s, while that was also the case last term.
In the 33 Premier League appearances he made for Chelsea, Palmer scored 22 goals and registered 11 assists. Saka, in contrast, recorded 16 and nine respectively despite playing more games for Arsenal.
Back to this campaign, and it was only last month when Palmer managed to score four goals in a single Premier League match, the second time he has done that since joining Chelsea from Manchester City.
Of course, as Bent mentioned, Saka has been on the scene for much longer than Palmer. Some will feel that the 22-year-old still has to prove himself.
That is not how Chelsea fans will feel, though, having watched Palmer win their side so many games over the last year.
Ultimately, if you are going off the last 12 months or so, then Palmer has been the better player out of him and Saka. Enzo Maresca is very fortunate to have a footballer of his quality in his squad.
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