After the match, Palmer identified exactly where things were unraveled for the Blues in his candid post-match discussion.
The English star emphasized that his team’s focus and the inability to effectively handle their important playfulness.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Palmer declared: “Yeah (irritating). We deserved more, we had a chance early on, but when we made a mistake at the highest level, it’s difficult.
“We showed we can play against one of the best teams in the competition. To be honest, the manager told us before we could go to the toes. It’s a good learning curve and getting back to the competition is good.
For the latest broken stories and headlines, sign up for the Daily Express Transfer Newsletter.
“I don’t know either (what happened in the second half). We’re not here to be a learning curve. We’ve shown we want to compete.”
Palmer himself had returned to his best form for the Blues.
He thought he slotted the ball over Neuer following a great pass from Andrey Santos and scored a second goal in the second half, but Val dumped it for offside on the build-up.
He provided the desired beacon on an inconsistent display from the Blues. Bruce demonstrated an elaborate passing play, which seemed dangerous at the moment, but failed to test Neuer multiple times.
Offering his verdict on Chelsea’s overall show, Maresca commented after the match.
“When we acknowledge our goals, we can avoid those goals. We got into the game and scored.”
Chelsea will take action next when they travel to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday. Bruce then travels to Lincoln City with the Carabao Cup before heading home to Brighton.
