Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brentford proves club made mistake not signing ‘exceptional’ attacker

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One of Chelsea’s summer targets could have made the difference for them in the first half of their 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday.

Chelsea really lacked quality in the first 45 minutes of their west London derby and were made to pay for it after Kevin Schade managed to find the back of the net after the half-hour mark.

Cole Palmer changed the game for Chelsea when he came on in the second half. But if the Blues had an adequate alternative to the 23-year-old, they may have gone into the break with a lead.

Facundo Buonanotte showed some promise, but he does not look ready to fill in for Palmer when the Englishman is unavailable.

• READ MORE: Chelsea fans will be furious at the ‘feeling’ Xavi Simons had about Alejandro Garnacho

Chelsea needed Xavi Simons’ quality in Cole Palmer’s absence

Tottenham Hotspur signing Xavi Simons looks like a more suitable alternative, and the Dutchman could have joined Chelsea in the summer. Instead, he has ended up at their London rivals.

Chelsea identified Simons as a target during the last transfer window, but the Club World Cup winners never made a move for him. It allowed Spurs to swoop in for the former RB Leipzig man, who really could have made a difference for Enzo Maresca‘s men at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The Netherlands international is a very technical footballer who can find a pass and score goals.

“He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player,” Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund was quoted as saying by Bundesliga News last year.

Ultimately, playing against such a compact team like Brentford, Simons could have been the perfect attacker for Chelsea to have on Saturday.

Xavi Simons’ performance versus West Ham

Chelsea’s loss has been Tottenham’s gain, and that was clear to see in their 3-0 victory over West Ham United.

Simons had a very bright debut, setting up Spurs’ first goal from a corner. As per Sofascore, Simons also registered one key pass, completed four long balls and had 51 touches.

Simons would not have been the answer to all of Chelsea’s problems, but he could have been the solution to at least one of them: the lack of quality when Palmer is not playing.