Cole Palmer has just become the most mentioned player after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The English star scored a double and had 1 assist for Joao Pedro to help Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the final. Before this match started, all predictions were aimed at PSG but the final result, with Palmer's brilliance, Chelsea stunned everyone.
After the win over PSG, Palmer has risen to fame again, emerging as a top star in English football at the moment, alongside Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Harry Kane ( Bayern Munich). He is expected to become the core of coach Thomas Tuchel in the "Three Lions" journey at the 2026 World Cup.
All the praise is directed towards Palmer, but if we look back at the second half of last season, the English midfielder has fallen into a state of unforgettable decline in form. Palmer is not the main factor helping Chelsea get a ticket to the 2025-2026 Champions League and is suspected to be just a failure, unable to break away anymore.
However, Enzo Maresca has been patient and always considered Palmer a very important player for Chelsea. Under the hands of the Italian strategist, Palmer is playing in a flexible "number 10" position. He can drift left, deviate right, play center, ... and not be tied. This is a privilege Maresca has given Palmer because he wants the England international to soon regain the feeling of being tested in every position that is considered suitable.
In the FIFA Club World Cup final against PSG, Palmer was deployed by Maresca to play on the right wing, right at Nuno Mendes's flank. Last season, Nuno Mendes was considered the best left-back in the world, who has "evaluated" countless top right-wing attacking stars.
However, in a day without Pacho supporting behind, Mendes lost all their efforts to Palmer. The Chelsea star's two goals and assists both came from the back of Mendes. Palmer's true win.
Palmer's performance against PSG was reminiscent of Chelsea's recent win in the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis. In that match, the England international had 2 assists in the second half. At the end of the match, he was also the MVP.
Thus, Cole Palmer has had 7 assists in 6 finals he has participated in, in addition to goals such as a double against PSG. No player has progressed the ball and participated in attacks more than the 23-year-old star.
There was a period last season when Palmer went through a series of 18 matches without being able to score for both club and national team. However, as analyzed above, once Maresca trusted and patiented him, Palmer responded appropriately. In the 2024-2025 Premier League, no player has been more involved in Chelsea's attacking streaks than Cole Palmer (shoots, creating chances, or a pass in the finishing streak).
Despite the controversy over his form, Palmer's expected goals (xG) excluding penalties are still good (0.38) per 90 minutes. This number has remained the same for the two seasons he played for the London team, a very convincing consistency in goal output.
Compared to Premier League stars, Palmer is not inferior. Only Erling Haaland (57) and Mohamed Salah (75) have had more goals and assists than Palmer (56) in the Premier League since the start of the 2023-24 season.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final was Cole Palmer's private platform, but not only because of that match, fans recognized the talent of the English midfielder. Now, Enzo Maresca and Thomas Tuchel will have to work very hard to exploit the young star's full potential, thereby aiming for the highest goals in 2026.
