Gianfranco Zola believes Cole Palmer is a “high participant”, although he has been shocked by the influence the England worldwide has had since becoming a member of Chelsea.
Palmer signed for the Blues at first of final season and is a vastly influential determine at Stamford Bridge.
He was named the Premier League’s Younger Participant of the 12 months, and since his debut in September 2023, Palmer has been concerned in 44 top-flight objectives (28 objectives, 16 assists). No different participant within the competitors has straight contributed to as many objectives in that point.
Already this season, he has netted six objectives and registered 5 assists within the league, essentially the most of any Chelsea participant, and made historical past towards Brighton, turning into the primary participant to attain 4 instances within the first half of a Premier League match.
And Chelsea nice Zola has excessive hopes for the 22-year-old.
“For the time being he’s producing performances and outcomes worthy of a high participant, so the place he can get, I don’t know, as a result of this man has shocked everybody, particularly me,” Zola instructed Stats Carry out at Pageant dello Sport in Trento, Italy.
“I knew he had good qualities, however doing what he’s doing is a shock for me. And so, I would love him to proceed to shock each me and the others, so let’s hope he continues like this.”
Palmer once more ole ole.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 12, 2024
Chelsea sit fourth within the Premier League and are unbeaten within the competitors since their opening-day loss to Palmer’s former membership Manchester Metropolis.
Enzo Maresca is now trying to develop into solely the fifth boss to win every of his first 4 Premier League away video games, with one of many earlier 4 to take action being his subsequent opponent, Liverpool’s Arne Slot.
Regardless of questions surrounding the membership earlier than the beginning of the season, Maresca has seemingly imposed his model of play on the squad rapidly, and Zola is impressed with how they’ve tailored to life beneath the brand new head coach.
“I’m very completely satisfied as a result of past the outcomes, that are optimistic, the group is exhibiting indicators of being on the correct path,” he added.
“There’s a construction that’s working after which, as they are saying in England, a ‘high of that’, that’s Palmer, who is continuous to do extraordinary issues as he did final yr.”
Doing the #PL double in September! pic.twitter.com/zkGxK4qj5a
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 11, 2024
Chelsea face league leaders Liverpool on Sunday and can be trying to keep within the combine on the high of the desk by claiming their first win in seven towards the Reds.
Maresca has shrugged off early ideas that Chelsea might problem for the title this season, and although Zola thinks the Blues are competing effectively, he expects it to be tight within the Premier League.
“Undoubtedly the competitors could be very robust, very excessive,” he stated.
“Liverpool, Arsenal, who’ve been doing essential issues for a couple of years now, Metropolis, who will return to their ranges, are already at their ranges, have had the misfortune of shedding an important participant like Rodri, who is usually a issue, however [Pep] Guardiola has all the time proven that he can discover options, so that they may also be there.
“The Premier League is aggressive, and Chelsea can have lots of competitiveness towards these groups. Nonetheless, I repeat, it’s encouraging as a result of they’re rising effectively.”
