Cole Palmer’s message he got in his ear at full-time says a lot as Chelsea star suffers

Cole Palmer has now gone seven games without a goal or assist for Chelsea, and Enzo Maresca had a message for the attacking midfielder that spoke volumes

Enzo Maresca pulled Cole Palmer to one side to remind him of his remarkable achievements amid the lull in the Chelsea star’s goal-scoring run.

The England forward has been struggling lately, netting just one goal in his last seven appearances. His latest assist dates back to Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in December.

Palmer’s dip in performance has mirrored Chelsea’s inconsistent results. Before their confident 4-0 thrashing of Southampton on Tuesday, the London outfit only managed two wins in 10 Premier League outings.

Despite playing the entirety of the game against the Saints, the 22-year-old couldn’t end his scoring and assisting drought. While the vital win propelled Chelsea back into the top four, Palmer’s mood after the final whistle was notably disappointed.

He was engaged in conversation with Maresca following the triumph, where the Chelsea manager revealed the gist of their discussion. The Italian tactician had nothing but encouragement for Palmer, taking a moment to reminisce on the young talent’s impressive feats so far, including clinching a Treble with Manchester City and finding the net in the Euro 2024 final.

“I said he has been lucky in his career,” he said. “He has shared changing rooms with top players and he knows they go through bad moments. Keep working, keep laughing, enjoy your football”

Palmer took to Instagram Stories to reassure Chelsea supporters that he’s conscious of his recent dip in performance and is determined to bounce back to the form they’ve come to expect since his £40million transfer in 2023. Post-match, he said: “well done lads +3, don’t worry I will be back.”

Maresca, meanwhile, chose not to overanalyse Palmer’s slump, acknowledging that it’s part and parcel of a footballer’s career. “It is quite easy. All of them, they went through some bad moments, it is normal,” he commented. “You cannot expect every season or game, it is normal.

“He is a human being. He misses goals, he misses some things, it is about how you react I was telling him it’s OK.” Palmer’s next chance to showcase his talents and silence the critics comes in Chelsea’s Conference League Round of 16 clash with Copenhagen on March 6.

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