Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards lavished praise on Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer following the thrilling 4-4 Premier League draw against Manchester City on Sunday evening.
Palmer was a surprise signing for Chelsea from Man City before the transfer deadline last summer and he has already established himself as a key player under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. He faced his former club for the first time yesterday and showed his class with his clever movement in the final 3rd of the pitch.
The England youth international almost scored a brilliant solo goal against the reigning English champions and he had the final say in the game with his penalty securing a point for the club. This was Palmer’s 4th spot-kick in all competitions for Chelsea and he maintained his perfect record by finding the back of the net.
Speaking to Sky Sports (via BBC Sport) after the draw, Richards said that Palmer saw the opportunity to prosper away from City and he is currently with a club that want to be in the Champions League. The former centre-back added that Palmer is not only composed on penalties, but his all-round performances have been fantastic.
He said: “You never want to see an academy player leave so soon – you want him to stay and play loads of games like Phil Foden has. But he’s seen the opportunity and he’s gone, not to a team that’s fighting relegation but to a team that wants to be in the Champions League. It’s not just his composure on penalties, it’s his all-round game, his performances have been fantastic. For City it’s devastating to see him go but I’m just glad he’s playing games.”
Palmer has yet to score from open play for the London giants, but he has impressed with his overall attributes. He is good with the ball at his feet and has the ability to make key passes. He is also good in making clever runs into the box. The Englishman is only 21 and should get better with age and experience in the coming years.
It remains to be seen how he will be handled after the international break when Christopher Nkunku returns from his knee injury. The Frenchman has yet to make his Chelsea debut but he comes with a huge reputation from Bundesliga. He is a regular goal contributor and his return could impact the playing time of Palmer.
