- 18 hours ago
'Not Cole Palmer FC' - Pochettino tells Chelsea flops to step up their game
Tom Weber
- Updated: 23 Apr 2024 09:35 BST
- 3 min read
Mauricio Pochettino has tried to make it clear that Cole Palmer can't continue to be Chelsea's get-out-of-jail card.
The summer signing has had a quite stunning impact at Stamford Bridge and his €47 million transfer fee looks a real bargain, a rare good piece of business by Chelsea under Todd Boehly.
Palmer is going toe-to-toe with ex-Man City teammate Erling Haaland at the summit of the Premier League Golden Boot charts and there is a solid argument to be made that Chelsea would be in a relegation scrap had it not been for the 21-year-old attacker.
READ MORE: Here we go! Fabrizio Romano confirms TWO Chelsea transfers
Yet, Chelsea could be without their talisman for their crucial London clash with Arsenal on Tuesday evening. The youngster, it seems, has taken his nickname a bit too literally and 'Cold Palmer' could miss the game due to illness.
The title-chasing Gunners will be the household favourites against Mauricio Pochettino's mid-table Blues, but Palmer's potential absence presents a chance for some of Chelsea's underperformers to show what they are capable of.
Compared
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
VS
Erling Haaland
F (CRL)
Man City
Erling Haaland
F (CRL)
Man City
2023/2024
Season Statistics
2023/2024
| 28 | Appearances | 26 |
| 20 | Goals | 20 |
| 9 | Assists | 5 |
'Not Cole Palmer FC'
Indeed, ahead of the game, Pochettino made sure to hammer home that a club like Chelsea can't be a one-man show, urging the rest of the team to step up their game.
“It is a good challenge in case Palmer is not available,” Chelsea’s head coach said. “It’s a good challenge for the teammates. If I am a teammate of Cole Palmer in his position or a similar position, I am going to be motivated to go there tomorrow and show this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club.”
READ MORE: Spurs want €20m wonderkid - but he's a Chelsea fan
"[Palmer] is a good example for them – why is he doing so well and why are they not capable to do the same? It is a good challenge. They are not jealous. They only want the same pill we provide Palmer! It’s a joke! They ask, ‘What you are doing for Palmer, we want the same.'"
