Cole Palmer: Chelsea's €47m bargain as Man City RUE transfer blunder

Cameron Smith

• 12 Nov 2023 12:56 CST
• 4 min read

When Rodri’s 86th minute effort nicked off Thiago Silva’s boot and nestled into the far corner of Robert Sanchez’s net, Chelsea looked as though they’d wasted a brilliant performance against the Premier League champions.

The Blues had gone toe-to-toe with the best team in world football, but it seemed as though Mauricio Pochettino’s side were set to fall just short of a well-earned point.

However, the tale wasn’t yet over, with Ruben Dias’ rash challenge on Armando Broja providing a stoppage time chance for Chelsea to equalise from the penalty spot.

READ MORE: How many goals has Mykhailo Mudryk scored for Chelsea?

Cole Palmer, the Manchester City academy graduate, had scored all three of his penalties in a Chelsea shirt since his €47 million summer move and the scriptwriters had saved his most telling moment for the dying embers of a Premier League classic.

The England U21 international had nearly produced a Lionel Messi-esque solo goal in the second-half when he danced past the Man City team before a smart save from Ederson denied what would have been a goal to remember.

However, he wasn’t to be stopped in the 95th minute. Up he stepped, caressing the ball past Ederson before delivering a cool-as-ice celebration after netting against his boyhood club.

READ MORE: 'Disgusting' - Chelsea fans FUME after Anthony Taylor's Marc Cucurella penalty decision

A last-gasp equaliser capped off a superb performance in which Palmer proved why Man City should never have sanctioned his sale.

Before their trip to Stamford Bridge, Pep Guardiola discussed his desire to retain Palmer at the club, but the youngster was adamant he wanted a chance of scenery to display his talent on a far more consistent basis.

Cole Palmer: Chelsea’s new talisman

He has already played more league minutes for Chelsea than during his entire Man City career and he has become a key component of Pochettino’s young and vibrant Chelsea team.

Four goals and four assists in 10 games is certainly impressive, but it doesn’t even begin to paint the full picture when describing Palmer’s impact at Stamford Bridge.

His technical quality has elevated the potential of Chelsea’s project tenfold and Palmer frequently drops deep to receive the ball, showing maturity beyond his years in an attempt to make things happen for his new club.

Palmer’s impact has been huge and given how Chelsea battled against the very best team in Europe, it’s fair to say that supporters will be very encouraged that Pochettino is starting to work wonders with the exciting squad at his disposal.

It's not often Guardiola and Man City make mistakes, but selling Palmer to Chelsea already looks like a huge one.