Martin Keown has paid tribute to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer by claiming not even Manchester City’s 23-year-old star could have replicated his success at Stamford Bridge this season.
It’s been the kind of breakout year from Cole Palmer that nobody could have predicted. The 22-year-old Blues attacker turned up at Stamford Bridge last summer after a £40m move (Sky Sports) from Man City and has instantly become the main man in west London.
He’s scored 24 goals and made 13 assists in 42 Blues appearances across all competitions so far.
Palmer, the Man City academy graduate, wasn’t content with just being a squad player at the Etihad Stadium. He played 41 senior matches in his Man City career, but was still a long way off Pep Guardiola’s best XI.
It’s full credit to the Chelsea and England star that he fast-tracked his development by making a bold move to a Premier League rival.
Martin Keown doubts Man City star could’ve matched Cole Palmer impact
Martin Keown thinks it’s “remarkable” what Palmer has been able to do so far in Chelsea colours.
He’s actually said he doubts Man City superstar Phil Foden, who recently won Football Writers’ Player of the Year, could have turned up at Chelsea and impacted them as much as Palmer has done.
“I mean, it has been an amazing move for him, what he has achieved. And you start looking, the Football Writers’ Player of the Year was Phil Foden, and even he would have struggled to have gone to Chelsea and do what this young man has done. It is quite remarkable what he has done,” Keown told talkSPORT (12:23pm, 10 May).
Is Cole Palmer better than Phil Foden?
For now, The Chelsea Chronicle would just edge for Foden over Palmer due to longevity and trophy haul. However, for this one-off 2023/24 campaign, you could argue the Chelsea talisman just edges his former teammate at Man City.
There’s so many similarities between Foden and Palmer. They’re both left-footed playmakers that posses such quality in the final third, so the prospect of them reuniting again with the England national team is an exciting one.
Foden has been there and done it at the highest level. In fact, he’s elevated his game to even greater heights this campaign by becoming more pivotal for his club.
As for Palmer, this has been his first proper campaign of regularly starting first-team games. The Chelsea Chronicle agrees that not many could come into the chaos at Chelsea and perform quite like he has at his age with his inexperience.