The year 2023 concluded with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City fighting for the top spot in the Premier League table. Those three teams remain the primary contenders for the league title, as has been the trend in recent years.
The likes of Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka continue to prove their class in the ongoing season for their respective teams.
However, there are a couple of youngsters, who have been really impressive this year. In fact, the current year can be called a breakthrough one for them.
In this article, we are going to discuss those two players and their impact on English football.
Cole Palmer
Palmer has been a part of trophy-winning squads at Manchester City, but his own contribution to those successes were miniscule. He remained a fringe player for the Cityzens, making occasional appearances for them.
The 21-year-old Englishman played in 41 matches for Pep Guardiola’s side in his four seasons with them, scoring six goals in the process. Hence, when Chelsea signed him at the start of this season, doubts persisted regarding his potential impact as a player.
However, Palmer has been able to remove most of those doubts in the few months he has spent as a Chelsea player. In fact, with eight goals and four assists in 19 matches for the Blues so far, he has been their stand-out player this season.
Moreover, Palmer has shown his versatility by playing as the right winger, the number 10 and also the false nine in different matches to underline his importance as a player. Predominantly a left-footed player, Palmer’s dribbling and passing abilities have come to the fore this season. He has formed a potent combination with Raheem Sterling upfront.
Chelsea has been quite ordinary under Mauricio Pochettino so far with 28 points from 20 matches in the league. They are languishing in the 10th position in the table, but it could have been worse had it not been for Palmer.
Kobbie Mainoo
Hardly anybody had even heard of Mainoo at the start of the season, but the 18-year-old defensive midfielder has managed to capture the attention of football-lovers all over the world within a short span.
Mainoo had played in a solitary match for Manchester United last season, but made his Premier League debut in United’s 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park last November. He has not looked back since, and continues to be the lone bright spot in his club’s otherwise ordinary season.
Mainoo has appeared in six league matches this season and looks good for many more. He has good positional awareness, can sense danger and does not shy away from tackles or challenges. He has replaced Sofyan Amrabat in United’s starting 11 in the double pivot, and received praise from former players like Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
The future seems to be bright for the youngster, as he will grow stronger physically in course of time. It remains to be seen how well he is able to realize his potential in the future.