With Liverpool having already secured the title this was the weekend that the Premier League targeted on the Race for Fifth™.
And with that in thoughts, our Participant of the Week is…
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
📸 HENRY NICHOLLS – AFP or licensors
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“The type of participant who can do issues that nobody expects.”
That was Enzo Maresca’s appraisal of Cole Palmer after Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday to present their hopes of Champions League soccer subsequent season and main increase.
The Blues got here into the weekend’s match having not misplaced since travelling to Arsenal in mid-March however figuring out that solely a win would do of their hunt to complete fifth and get the higher of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Issues had improved barely over the previous few weeks for Maresca’s males however in Palmer that they had a participant who gave the impression to be fighting the load of expectation after making a seismic affect in his opening marketing campaign for the membership final outing.
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In musicians’ phrases, this was Palmer’s troublesome second album, but when we’re labouring this metaphor just a little extra his efficiency towards Liverpool was essentially the most exceptional comeback single.
After going 13 video games and not using a purpose for the west London outfit, Palmer lastly broke his duck at hand Chelsea the three factors with a sometimes stylish penalty.
However it wasn’t simply the purpose that earned him headlines, it was full mastery from minute one at Stamford Bridge.
The England worldwide was again to his greatest, humiliating Kostas Tsimikas on an nearly minute-by-minute foundation and incomes comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo from Gary Neville within the Sky commentary field.
Chatting with the identical broadcaster afterwards, Palmer was open about his latest drought in entrance of purpose and making an attempt to ignoring the haters on-line.
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“Clearly shit occurs,” he stated. “I went three months with out scoring but it surely simply offers me extra motivation, extra struggle to do properly, not only for myself however for the workforce.
” your self social media is simply filled with idiots, trolls or no matter. I don’t pay no consideration. To attain at present I’m glad. It’s just one and I’ve acquired to maintain bettering to attempt to attain my ranges.”
With three intriguing video games towards Newcastle, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest to return, Palmer’s ranges might want to keep the identical if Chelsea are to assert their place at Europe’s high desk subsequent time period.
📸 Shaun Botterill – 2025 Getty Pictures