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Palmer’s Form Struggles Continue at Chelsea

Cole Palmer began the season with impressive momentum for Chelsea, finding the back of the net 14 times and assisting on six occasions during his first 21 appearances in the Premier League. However, a noticeable drop in form has left him with no contributions in terms of goals or assists since that prolific start.

Many fans and Fantasy Football enthusiasts had targeted Chelsea’s recent home match against Southampton—a struggling team at the bottom of the league—to be the moment Palmer would rediscover his scoring touch. This fixture appeared to offer the best opportunity for him to break his drought, given Southampton’s poor defensive record.

During the match, Palmer was in the right positions and had the chance to capitalize on several opportunities, recording seven shots—tying him for the most attempts by a Chelsea player in the league this season. Unfortunately, his execution was lacking. In the first half alone, he squandered two clear one-on-one chances: one effort was saved by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, while another drifted wide. Following the interval, he fired a cut-back well over the crossbar.

Overall, Palmer’s performance at the game resulted in an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.07, highlighting the missed potential he had to add to his earlier stats.

After having a late free-kick turned away by Ramsdale, Palmer’s reaction was surprisingly light-hearted; he smiled, suggesting he was taking his ongoing struggle in stride. This attitude did not go unnoticed by his manager, who praised the young player’s positive demeanor in the post-match press conference.

“It is how you react. He is reacting perfectly. He is smiling and he is happy. We have no doubt he will score more goals,” said Maresca in his remarks about Palmer’s situation.

Maresca also commented on the nature of professional athletes’ experiences, stating, “He’s a human being. All human beings, all big players, all the normal players, big club, big manager – we all go through a bad moment.” He noted that despite Palmer’s youth, his time at a major club like Manchester City provides him with an understanding that even top players face slumps.

Palmer’s journey with Chelsea began when he transferred from Manchester City in September 2023, and despite the recent struggles, he has already accumulated 39 goals in all competitions throughout his career.

Source
www.bbc.com