There’s a reason we paid over 70 billion for him…Hope in crisis at Chelsea, look forward to seeing what he does next!

Cole Palmer looked good in his first start for Chelsea, giving us hope for the future.

Chelsea defeated Brighton 1-0 in the third round of the 2023-24 English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) at Stamford Bridge in London, England, on Sunday at 3:45 a.m. ET. The win sends Chelsea through to the round of 16.

With the mood at its lowest point due to a string of draws, Mauricio Pochettino utilized a rotation in the EFL Cup. Palmer stood out. Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City this summer. He was a highly touted prospect at City Youth and was expected to get more playing time this season after performing well in the Community Shield.

It was a big transfer. City sold Palmer, who they had been developing since 2009, for a hefty fee. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea made an offer of £40 million with a £5 million add-on for Palmer. That’s more than $70 billion for a player who, while he certainly has potential, hasn’t shown it at the professional level. The contract was for 7+1 years.

So far, Palmer has only appeared as a substitute. When he came off the bench, he didn’t make much of an impression, raising question marks. On this day, he started. Pochettino used Palmer as an attacking midfielder. In the Premier League (PL), it’s a position usually occupied by Enzo Fernandez or Connor Gallagher. Palmer ran the attack from the center of the field, providing quality passes to Nicola Jackson and Mikhail Mkhitaryan with his sharp left-footed kicks.

His ball handling skills were good and his pressing was excellent. Didn’t stay in the center but moved around his teammates or switched with flankers at the drop of a hat to beat defenders. Showed good football intelligence. Gave an assist on Jackson’s goal in the fifth minute of the second half. With Palmer playing until the final 30 minutes, Chelsea held on for a 1-0 win. It was a game-changing win.

Palmer completed 92% of his passes, made two key passes, took two shots (one on target), drew three fouls, and won three ground battles (in five attempts), giving him a 7.8 rating on Soccerstats’ Couch Score. The UK’s Evening Standard wrote: “Palmer made his starting debut. His touches, turns, and passes looked simple, but he provided an assist for the Jackson goal and certainly added quality. He linked up well with Mourinho and Jackson and if he can improve defensively, he could be a regular starter.” 레고토토

In his post-match press conference, Pochettino said: “Palmer is a talented player and he was key to the win today. He is still young and needs to adapt. But he showed today what a good player he is.” If Palmer continues to perform like he did today, he’ll be a solid addition to the Chelsea attack.

Palmer said in an interview, “We needed the win because we haven’t gotten results lately, and it was a win the team needed. Hopefully we can build on it and get better. Personally, my performance was okay. I want to do better. The team is in a new phase of change. The fans expect a win because it’s Chelsea. I’m trying to give them a win. It’s a start and we’re building confidence. When things are difficult, you have to work harder and the players have to stick together. We showed that tonight and got a much-needed win,” he said after the game.