Former Tottenham man Garth Crooks full of praise for Chelsea star Cole Palmer vs Everton
Former Premier League star and now-BBC pundit Garth Crooks picked his Team of the Week for GW33, featuring one Chelsea star. No prizes for guessing who it is, as Cole Palmer shined throughout the 90 in an emphatic 6-0 victory over Sean Dyche’s Everton at Stamford Bridge. A quartet of goals from the former Manchester City winger and a goal each from Nicholas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist ended the away team’s misery.
Describing Palmer’s performance in his BBC column, here is what Crooks noted, also mentioning Jackson and Noni Madueke fighting for a penalty, which eventually Palmer took after captain Conor Gallagher and Thiago Silva intervened:
“Everton were 3-0 down before they even got started at Stamford Bridge. Sean Dyche looked somewhat red faced on the touchline and so did club owner Farhad Moshiri as he watched uncomfortably from the stands. The cause of their embarrassment was the 20-year-old Chelsea phenomenon Cole Palmer.”
“The former Manchester City player, who left the champions because he got fed up waiting for game time, moved to south-west London and hasn’t stopped scoring since his arrival. He produced the most sensational hat-trick against the Toffees, each goal with its own touch of spontaneous magic and got a fourth with a penalty.”
“The game comes effortlessly to this lad and Chelsea need to build a team around him. However, when you get team-mates fighting over who is going to take a penalty you question the leadership at the club.”
Palmer’s decision to depart Manchester City in search of regular game time has proven to be a masterstroke. Since arriving in London, he has been nothing short of prolific, consistently finding the back of the net. His hat-trick against Everton was a testament to his natural ability, each goal a showcase of his innate footballing intelligence and flair. In 41 appearances across all competitions, Palmer has 25 goals and 13 assists and also is the joint-leading goal scorer in the Premier League this season.
‘Cold’ Palmer
However, it wasn’t just Palmer’s goal-scoring prowess that caught the eye. His composure from the penalty spot, especially in the midst of teammates squabbling over who should take it, demonstrated his maturity beyond his years. With captain Conor Gallagher and veteran defender Thiago Silva intervening to restore order, Palmer calmly dispatched the penalty, further cementing his importance to the team.
While Palmer’s individual brilliance was undeniable, Crooks couldn’t help but raise questions about Chelsea’s leadership. Although the incident was quickly resolved, maintaining harmony and discipline within a young squad will be bloody important as Chelsea look to build a team around their emerging star. We surely cannot have more of this going forward, it does not put up a good image of the squad environment especially considering the transition phase we are in.
Looking ahead, Chelsea fans have every reason to be excited about Palmer’s potential. His seamless adaptation to life at Stamford Bridge and his consistent performances on the pitch suggest that he could be a cornerstone for the club’s future success. As Chelsea continue in their journey, Palmer’s meteoric rise will undoubtedly be a storyline worth following closely.
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- Cole Palmer reveals Marc Cucurella connection as Chelsea thrash Everton
- Thiago Silva shares his contentment on Instagram after Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Everton
With his clinical finishing and mature decision-making, Palmer has all the makings of a future superstar. As Chelsea fans, we can only hope that this is just the beginning of many more memorable moments to come from our newest sensation.