Cole Palmer looked a happy man after Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham in Premier League on Monday. He has justified Mauricio Pochettino’s faith in him by having a good game and helping his side win in the league after a long period without one in the league.
The 21-year-old played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s second goal and also looked quite lively as the right winger, incisive with his passes and crosses. As a result, Raheem Sterling’s place in the starting eleven remains doubtful with both Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk performing well on the flanks.
Palmer did not get enough chance at Manchester City
Palmer spent four seasons at Manchester City mainly as a fringe player, making 41 appearances for the club. With players like Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez in the squad, Palmer’s services were hardly needed and he was primarily used as a substitute, or started in less important matches.
However, he must have learnt a lot from being a part of a champion team. He was signed by Chelsea for £40 million at the start of the season, but his new club has made an underwhelming start to the season.
The Blues are 11th in the league table with eight points from seven matches, having lost in three of them already. Hence, Palmer has been able to break into the starting eleven to play as the right winger. He has already impressed with his performance and the club will rely a great deal on him to turn around.
Palmer’s ball skills can be an asset for Chelsea
Palmer is quite adept at dribbling and his lithe frame allows him to break through the opposition defense quite adroitly. His passing and crossing are also quite good and he should be helpful with his creative influence upfront.
Chelsea has not looked very inspiring with their offensive performance so far. Mudryk is yet to justify his huge price-tag, while Nicolas Jackson has struggled to find the net on most occasions. Sterling made a good start to the season with a string of good performances in the first few matches, but even his form has suffered a dip in the last few weeks.
Hence, the onus is on Palmer to make his mark and pull his side out of troubled waters. Chelsea needs to start scoring goals on a regular basis and Palmer can help them get that creative edge.
Challenging fixtures ahead
Chelsea has matches coming up against Arsenal, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the next month or so. As a result, they need to do really well in them to improve their position in the league.
Not even the staunchest supporter of the Blues will be hopeful ahead of those clashes and the club will need to make a drastic improvement in their performance to reverse the tide. Palmer is the player Pochettino will pin a lot of hope on for triggering a change. The right winger definitely has the potential to do so and the nest few matches are going to be among the most important ones in his fledgling career.