Garth Crooks says one Chelsea player blew him away at the weekend with the incredible level of his passing.
Chelsea flexed their attacking muscles on Sunday by putting on a five-star performance at home to rivals West Ham. The Blues thrashed West Ham 5-0 at Stamford Bridge to move up to seventh in the Premier League table. Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson (two) were all on the scoresheet.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side remain firmly in the mix to qualify for Europe. In fact, Manchester United’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last night only boosted Chelsea’s chances.
Next, the Blues travel to Nottingham Forest this Saturday at 5:30pm for their 36th league match of the season.
Garth Crooks applauds Chelsea pass master
BBC pundit Garth Crooks singled out a Chelsea star for his passing and vision on Sunday versus West Ham.
He thinks Cole Palmer, who turned 22 yesterday, put on a passing clinic in the London derby.
WhoScored data recorded that Palmer made 58 passes with a 91% passing accuracy against West Ham. Plus, he made four key passes, which is a pass leading to a shot at goal from a teammate.
“I’ve been very reluctant to say this as I don’t want to put any more pressure on the lad than already exists but I think Cole Palmer is the best talent this country has produced since Glenn Hoddle,” Crooks told BBC Sport.
“Palmer scored his 24th goal of the season like it was a training exercise and plays his game with such ease he never seems stretched. He sees the pass well before anyone else has seen it and then cuts the opposition in half with it.
“The ball for Nicolas Jackson, whose mis-control landed at the feet of Conor Gallagher to score, was so good and precise it startled him. He then clipped the most glorious throughball for Mykhailo Mudryk, who squandered the chance but by this time it didn’t matter as the game was well beyond the Hammers.
“Manchester City’s Phil Foden is talented but Cole Palmer is gifted. My hope is the England manager makes the most of these players. History suggests the national team has struggled with talent like this in the past.”
Cole Palmer more than just goals
Of course, most of the talk around Palmer this season has been for his incredible goalscoring impact. It’s understandable when you look at the fact he’s netted 24 times in 42 Chelsea appearances so far.
However, the young attacking playmaker is more than just a goalscorer.
The left-footed Englishman, whether he plays as a No 10 or a right-winger, is at the very heart of his team’s forward play.
Palmer’s got 13 assists and counting during this debut year at Chelsea. We agree with Crooks that he’s got a special ability to execute the right pass at the right moment.