Cole Palmer continues to be inevitable.
The Chelsea forward netted the winner against Newcastle United to reclaim his title as the most productive player in the Premier League this weekend. The strike at Stamford Bridge was his 12th goal involvement of the season and it lifted him above two-time Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland who had scored his 11th goal of the season the day before.
Praise from Enzo Maresca
After the game against the Magpies, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca heaped praise on his versatile forward, saying: "It is the reason why people pay, they want to see that kind of player. We are very happy to have him.”
Since the start of last season, no player has been involved in more Premier League goals. Palmer has 45 across this period. Many had wondered if the 22-year-old was going to be a one-season wonder. Anyone who may have had doubts has certainly been made to look foolish in these opening weeks of the 2024/25 campaign. Gareth Southgate is probably another feeling a little foolish.
The former England boss had Palmer on the bench for the majority of Euro 2024. Had he backed the former Manchester City youngster, perhaps the Three Lions might’ve lifted the trophy this summer as opposed to being runners-up.
On current form, he’s the best player in the world. Palmer has a 99 Football Critic rating.
The FootballCritic Rating System
Unlike other websites, this particular rating system takes multiple things into account such as the league they’re playing in, the frequency of their performances and the consistency of their exploits. You can read more about the Football Critic rating system here.
The fact is though, Palmer is durable, reliable and available. He appeared 33 times in the league for Chelsea last term and he’s nine from nine this season. On top of that, he’s also a dual threat.
Others in the Premier League are goalscorers or creators. Take Haaland as an example, his 11 goal involvements are made up of goals and nothing else. When he isn’t on the scoresheet, he isn’t much of a threat for Manchester City. He isn’t exactly a passenger but he’s not going to be pulling the strings, is he?
Cole Palmer vs Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is the opposite extreme. The Arsenal forward has seven assists, the most in the Premier League this season. But he’s scored just three goals. That isn’t to take anything away from his performances. He’s been brilliant for the title hopefuls, but there’s been a focus on his playmaking abilities rather than what he can offer as a goalscorer.
With Palmer, it is different. He’s a dual threat. If he’s not scoring, he’s assisting. If he’s not carving out opportunities for teammates, he’s the one converting chances.
The Chelsea No20 has five assists and seven goals this season. Take the goals away and he’s a creative menace. Take the assists and he’s a genuine goal threat.
Only Bryan Mbeumo (eight) and Haaland (11) have more goals than Palmer while Saka (seven) is the only player to have chipped in with more assists than the Chelsea man. See, he’s a dual threat. He’s a dual problem for the opposition.
He’s run riot for the Blues in big wins over Wolves - one goal and three assists - and Brighton - a game in which he found the back of the net on four occasions. These bolstered his numbers but he’s still been key for Chelsea in other games. He assisted their only goal against Nottingham Forest in the 1-1 draw while also scoring the winner against the Magpies last time out.
Vision
Palmer wasn’t credited with an assist for the opener at Stamford Bridge last weekend but his pass from deep made the goal. It was a pass that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold would’ve been proud of. He had no right to even see the opportunity, let alone execute it. In the blink of an eye, Chelsea went from being in their defensive third to Pedro Neto racing clear in the final third.
Palmer is everything for Chelsea. He’s their best player. He’s probably the best player in the league at the moment. And, right now, at least statistically, he’s the best player in the world.
