Chelsea need Cole Palmer more than ever – Blues' out-of-sorts talisman must step up to get them out of a rut
A tough period for the 22-year-old has coincided with the club's overall dip in form, and Enzo Maresca needs him back to his best as soon as possible
It's little surprise that Chelsea's alarming downturn in form has coincided with their talisman looking a little off colour. Ever-consistent Cole Palmer has gone through a rare, long-overdue rough spell of late, exposing just how important he is to the Blues' prospects.
Chelsea and Palmer hit a new low last week, with the attacking midfielder ineffective as he was subdued by Brighton's vigilant defence for the second time in as many games, contributing in large part to a blunt 3-0 defeat on the south coast for Enzo Maresca's side that left them down in sixth place in the Premier League by the end of the weekend.
This alarming dip means they have now registered just three wins in 11 games, with one of those coming against League Two strugglers Morecambe in the FA Cup.
Compared to a number of his team-mates, Palmer can still hold his head up high having continued to come up clutch in a number of challenging situations, but there is no doubt that his level has dropped as Chelsea begin to flounder. He needs to rediscover his best form to get them out of a rut.
Getty Images SportStill outstanding in adversity
Let's get this straight first: this is not simply a Palmer problem – Chelsea's No.20 has, until recently, continued to deliver despite the team's overall downturn in form.
It was Palmer who strolled through Fulham's defence to score an outrageous individual goal before the Cottagers came from behind to win on Boxing Day, Palmer who swept home a clinical opener in the disappointing draw at Crystal Palace, Palmer who sat the goalkeeper down and rolled the ball into the back of the net before the Blues surrendered a two-goal lead to be held by Bournemouth.
However, while Chelsea have found a way to win again in the month since amid some continued poor results, Palmer's influence has waned somewhat – although he was still the catalyst for own goals conceded by West Ham and Brighton.
Without his usual influence on proceedings, the west Londoners look far, far less threatening going forward and are evidently struggling for creativity and goals.
AdvertisementAFPFrustrated figure
Such has been Palmer's consistency since he emerged as a genuine superstar at Stamford Bridge last season that he has been conspicuous in his anonymity in recent games. There is a sense that, when Chelsea have really needed him of late, he has not been able to haul them over the line.
Having been quiet in the victory over Wolves, he went AWOL against former club Manchester City, spurning a glorious chance to lay the ball on a plate for Nicolas Jackson when the Blues were already leading 1-0, although the striker could have done better. Maresca's men were made to pay as a City side that was there for the taking came from behind to triumph 3-1.
Another subdued display against West Ham preceded back-to-back defeats in the FA Cup and Premier League, respectively, where he was thoroughly dealt with by Brighton, cutting a particularly frustrated figure in the latter game as he was frozen out by the Seagulls' intelligent pressing as they hunted in packs – a stark contrast to the reverse league fixture when Palmer scored all four goals in a 4-2 victory.
According to , the 22-year-old gave the ball away 12 times in the second half alone at the Amex Stadium as he hit a new low in this current dip in form.
Getty Images SportOverelliance
Chelsea's recent struggles have undoubtedly highlighted an overreliance on Palmer's goals and creativity, meaning that when he is out of form, the whole team seems to be out of form.
With Mykhailo Mudryk serving a doping suspension, Chelsea's available wingers – Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke – have provided a combined 20 goals and assists in the Premier League this season – the same number Palmer has weighed in with all on his own.
Although he was in the midst of his own goal drought, Jackson's hamstring injury earlier in February has exacerbated the situation over the past two games, with defenders zoning in on the Blues' key attacking midfielder in the absence of the tireless Senegalese striker, who is so good at occupying backlines even when he isn't troubling the scoreboard.
Christopher Nkunku has deputised up top, but he doesn't have the same understanding with Palmer and is very clearly not the out-and-out No.9 that Chelsea dearly lack. If anything, the Frenchman arguably gets in Palmer's way as he drops deep to get on the ball having made his name as a roaming No.10.
Maresca needs his other attacking players to do their share and take the initiative, having perhaps grown over-reliant on Palmer's exploits over the past 18 months.
Getty Images Sport'Not only Palmer who is frustrated'
Concerningly for Chelsea and their followers, there are the early signs of discontent behind the scenes; Palmer went straight down the tunnel following the full-time whistle on the south coast on Friday before being ushered back onto the pitch to acknowledge the disgruntled away support, who had vented their frustration during the dire 3-0 loss.
Addressing the situation later on, Maresca said: "Football is a team game, it’s not tennis; it’s not only Cole Palmer who is frustrated. In one way it can show the desire of Cole to improve things. But it’s not just about Cole, it’s about all the players.
"It’s a little bit like the fans, when you don’t win a game it’s normal that they are not happy and when we win games everyone is happy and the players are exactly the same. When we don’t win, they feel frustrated. We need all of them in this moment to be more positive because this is a moment where we need to stick together and try to finish in the best way."