The INCREDIBLE stat about Cole Palmer's brilliant Chelsea start
Cameron Smith
- 8 Oct 2023 17:13 BST
- 3 min read
Cole Palmer has begun life at Chelsea in scintillating form and those that doubted his acquisition have already started to eat their words.
The Englishman’s arrival for €47 million this summer was certainly questioned by some and perhaps rightfully so.
At the time, Palmer had amassed just three Premier League starts and was yet to net his first goal in the competition.
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He had, of course, scored in the Champions League but Palmer’s top flight credentials certainly weren’t high. However, his talent was clear to see during his restricted involvement in Man City’s first-team.
After all, to fight off competition from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish is no mean feat and Palmer was never able to establish himself as a regular under Pep Guardiola.
However, the England U21 star has begun to display his evident talent since moving to Stamford Bridge.
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Mauricio Pochettino was eager to apply caution when integrating Palmer into the Chelsea side (his first league start came 31 days after he joined), but he is now a pivotal player for the Blues.
Palmer’s ‘pausa’ is excellent and his creativity has added an extra dimension to Chelsea’s attack. He also notched his first Premier League goal in the 4-1 win over Burnley on Saturday - thanks to a calmly-taken penalty - and he provided the assist for Nicolas Jackson’s goal too.
His ability to drift inside off the right flank has dovetailed perfectly with Conor Gallagher’s constant desire to make third-man runs, and while that combination is still in its infancy, it has worked wonders so far.
Palmer vs Mount
Remarkably, Palmer has already been responsible for two goal-creating actions so far this season. That tally is more than his entire total from the 2022-23 Premier League season with Man City (one).
Furthermore, Palmer has created three big chances in the league this campaign, which is the same as Mason Mount managed in the entirety of last season.
Palmer has achieved the feat in just 251 Premier League minutes this term, while Mount’s tally came in 1,655 minutes.
Chelsea sold Mount to Manchester United for €64.2m this summer and although Palmer is a far less of a known quantity, that piece of business looks to have been a smart one given Mount’s difficult start to life at Old Trafford.
