At the end of last season, Chelsea and Cole Palmer were looking like an incredibly rosy couple. The playmaker had enjoyed an outstanding debut season, having fought his way into the England squad for the Euros and was eying up a similar campaign for the 24-25 season. And whilst the season started brightly for the 22-year-old, including an incredible four goals in the first half against Brighton, his form has recently dropped off and fans have been noticing a shift in his attitude too.
As Chelsea’s results and form dipped at the start of the year, Palmer endured his worst run, in terms of goal contributions, in a Blues shirt so far. This did end as he notched an important assist in the recent 2-1 victory over Tottenham, however he hasn’t found the back of the next since the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth way back in January. A run like this, for a player of Palmer’s quality, is very worrying for a number of reasons.
Chelsea Losing Grip on the Top 5
Firstly, after Sunday’s disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Ipswich, Champions League qualification is looking increasingly unlikely for Enzo Maresca’s men. Palmer did notch up another assist in this, as his cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Axel Tuanzebe. However yet again, Palmer’s overall performance was way below his usual standard as the Blues failed to capitalise on Nottingham Forest’s earlier defeat. Following last week’s drab 0-0 draw away at Brentford, Chelsea’s position in next year’s Champions League is looking ever less likely.
Impact on Other Players
Unsurprisingly, Palmer’s drop in form for the second half of the season has correlated with his fellow attackers struggling in front of goal. Nicolas Jackson, prolific at the start of the season, has not scored since a 2-1 victory over Brentford in the middle of December. Before Sunday’s draw, Jadon Sancho had not scored since the 4-3 victory over Spurs in early December. Chelsea’s entire attacking line is struggling, and this is only further emphasised by Palmer’s drop off, with supply lines faltering and the fluidity that accompanied Chelsea’s first half of the season nowhere to be seen.
Palmer Purring Elsewhere
Finally, and perhaps most concerningly, rumours are starting to circulate that Palmer’s overall decline in form, and worrying attitude, could be indications that the star is looking for a move away from Stamford Bridge. It’s evident that Palmer’s frustrations are beginning to be demonstrated on the pitch – his attitude has dropped, protests and moans are becoming more frequent and complaints against his teammates are becoming far too noticeable. Whilst Palmer has made no comments about a desire to leave Chelsea so far, should the Blues fail to quality for the Champions League and even worse, somehow conspire to not win the European Conference League, Palmer may be in a position where he will consider his options.
It would take a mammoth bid for Chelsea to part ways with their prized possession, who recently signed a new contract tying him to the club until 2033. However, should his form continue to decline and his body language become worse and worse, they may reach a position where his place in the squad becomes untenable – and this would be an absolute disaster for the Blues.
