At one point, it seemed unstoppable for Cole Palmer to maintain his form. Over the long term, his progress has been rapid and multiplied since signing for Chelsea in September 2023 for £42.5 million.
In Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on January 14, Palmer brought a enchanting super goal - the opening goal with his signature style. At that time last season, it was his 20th time scoring - 14 goals and 6 assists - in 21 Premier League games. This is further evidence that the 23-year-old striker is clearly Chelsea's guardian legend at the moment.
No one predicted what would happen next: 1 goal (1 penalty) and 3 assists in the last 17 matches of the season. That is Palmer's achievement. In addition to the lack of goals, Palmer's freedom to show his playing style has disappeared. An instinctive player has been self-conscious, which he admitted after last month's UEFA Conference League final.
After a poor first 45 minutes against Real Betis in Wroclaw, Palmer had two stunning assists to turn the 0-1 loss into a 4-1 victory, bringing home the first trophy of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital era.
"I was fed up with being behind or going sideways," Palmer said when asked what led to his first inspiring assist for Enzo Fernandez to score.
Critics say Palmer has been in a slump for some time. A few minutes after Chelsea's 1-3 loss to Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup, Flamengo's media team seized the opportunity to mock Palmer. They posted details about the high temperatures in the US with the caption " too hot for "Cold Palmer", referring to his signature celebration.
The Brazilian club later deleted the post, but the view was raised: Palmer is still far behind his best version.
Speaking in Philadelphia, Palmer said: "It's clear that sometimes the pressure works on everyone. But most of the time, I try to train and ignore it. I still do the same things before coming to Chelsea.
I tried and thought it was just a football match at the end of the day, not life or death. So I just try and enjoy it. I do normal things to forget everything".
Maresca's plan against Flamengo does not seem to promote Palmer's strengths. pushed to the right wing, away from his favorite No. 10 position (the number of shirt he is currently wearing), Palmer struggled to influence his playing style. He could not connect with Malo Gusto, who was allowed to move more from the right-back role.
In fact, Palmer has barely connected to anyone. He only had 32 touches and was substituted in the 82nd minute when Chelsea scored a goal and lost one to Nicolas Jackson's red card.
Maresca then avoided questions about Palmer's poor form by answering them collectively. He stressed that tactical experimentation including defender Reece James playing in midfield would benefit the Blues in the long run. However, there is little evidence that Palmer benefits from the change.
Maresca has left Palmer out of the Chelsea squad for the Conference League group stage, but the upcoming match against Esperance de Tunis will still be his 52nd match for club and country since the start of the 2024-2025 season.
This is also the third consecutive summer Palmer has played in a tournament. Last season, he scored in the EURO 2024 final when England lost to Spain. A year earlier, Palmer also shined to help England U21 win the U21 EURO final against Spain U21.
Palmer's appearance in the third final in 3 years at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 seems very far away. But if Chelsea want to have any chance to do that, Palmer's revival must still be a catalyst.
