Chelsea may be 11th in the Premier League table, but they still have some very talented players.
Enzo Fernandez is a World Cup winner and Reece James is one of the best right-backs in the Premier League when he is fit.
This season, though, it is quite clear that Cole Palmer has been Chelsea‘s top performer.
In 35 appearances, Palmer has scored 16 goals and provided 12 assists, incredible numbers given that this is his first campaign at Stamford Bridge. After his panenka penalty against Burnley over the weekend, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd described him as a “class act”.
Mauricio Pochettino has now explained why Palmer is Chelsea’s best player at this moment in time.
Mauricio Pochettino talks up Cole Palmer
Palmer should have been Chelsea’s hero last time out, scoring two goals against Burnley on Saturday.
In the end, they were not enough to earn the Blues all three points as Vincent Kompany’s men came back from behind twice to hold their opponents to a draw.
Nevertheless, Pochettino still had high praise for Palmer after the game.
Discussing whether the 21-year-old is Chelsea’s best player, Pochettino said (Evening Standard): “It’s so obvious, he scored twice, and yes, of course, he is a good example for the rest.
“From day one, he took responsibility in penalties and in the game. You can see that when the team is struggling, they give the ball to him.
“It’s very positive for the team and him to play games that he didn’t play at Manchester City. It’s obvious that we are happy with him. But as a collective, he cannot be happy. He is, of course, disappointed.”
Cole Palmer’s panenka
Palmer is clearly overflowing with confidence right now, lofting the ball into Arijanet Muric’s net from the penalty spot on Saturday.
It is no surprise, with the Englishman recording 28 goal contributions this season. He must feel like he is on the top of the world at this moment in time.
Without him, Chelsea would be in real trouble.
The first of Palmer’s two goals versus Burnley took him to 20 goal involvements in the Premier League, something only four other Chelsea players have managed to achieve in their debut season at Stamford Bridge.