- 15 hours ago
Pochettino admits Chelsea must be 'careful' with Cole Palmer
Cameron Smith
- 19 Apr 2024 18:30 BST
- 3 min read
Mauricio Pochettino has warned Cole Palmer the demands on him “are so much higher now” due to the fact he is the joint-top goalscorer in the Premier League this season.
Palmer, 21, netted four goals during Chelsea’s 6-0 demolition of Everton on Monday night and he is now level with Manchester City star Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League goalscorer charts.
Haaland and Palmer have both netted 20 league goals this season, although Chelsea’s new superstar has scored nine penalties, which has significantly boosted his tally.
The former Man City winger has been dubbed ‘Cold Palmer’ due to his coolness on the pitch and a now iconic celebration, but Pochettino has admitted the England international must remain grounded.
READ MORE: How does Cole Palmer's debut Chelsea season compare to Eden Hazard's?
Current ETV
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
Cole Palmer
AM (RL), M (C)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€24.8M - €41.4M
What has Mauricio Pochettino said?
Ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Man City on Saturday, Pochettino revealed that Palmer must adapt to the pressure of being the Blues’ main man in attack.
“First, it is about consistently absorbing the pressure to play in the Premier League,” the ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss said.
READ MORE: 'Cole Palmer can be better than Kevin de Bruyne'
“We were talking as a coaching staff that it is about the [increased] demand in his private life. The demands are so much higher now because he is the top scorer.
“He needs to pay attention to different things than before. That will influence how he prepares, rests, sleeps, and expends the energy that he didn’t before,” he continued.
“That’s why we need to be careful, I don’t know if the club has, but we [coaching team] have the experience to manage this type of thing when a young kid becomes a big star.
“We know, [people may ask] ‘why is he not performing? Why is he tired?’ It’s because his life has changed. It’s different when a player is used to that experience but he is dealing with experiences that are completely different from the past to him.”
