Why Cole Palmer has fewer touches but is more deadly as Maresca’s Chelsea tactics make the most of his talismanic star
COLE PALMER is averaging fewer touches this season.
But the good news for Chelsea fans is he’s become even more deadly.
And that is thanks to Enzo Maresca’s tactical tweak.
Palmer enjoyed a stunning debut season at Stamford Bridge, thriving on a free role on the right under Mauricio Pochettino and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year.
He racked up a staggering 22 goals and 11 assists in his 33 Premier League appearances and did so with 65 touches per 90 minutes of action.
However, this term under new boss Maresca his stats are even better.
Palmer has already racked up six goals and five assists from 596 minutes spanning seven games – at an average of just 57 touches per 90 minutes.
In fact, Palmer boasts a whopping 44 Premier League goal involvements since the start of last season – two more than Erling Haaland.
The numbers work out as a goal involvement every 54 minutes in 2024-25 compared to every 79 minutes in 2023-24.
Of course, those numbers are boosted by his incredible four-goals-in-20-minutes blitz against Brighton in September.
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And the reason behind the emphatic boost is because Palmer has been moved to playing more centrally as a No10 with Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho the regulars out wide in the current Chelsea starting XI.
That has enabled the England international to roam in the middle of the pitch and still drift wider – rather than trying to come in off the wing and find himself wrestling with team-mates for space.
At times he does drop deep but Palmer prefers to find square pockets between midfielders and defenders to receive the ball and cause damage – either shooting at goal or creating chances for his fellow forwards.
Maresca, who coached Palmer at Manchester City, is relishing working with the star again – and is certainly getting the best out of him.
The Italian explained to the Chelsea website: “He can play in different positions for us because he is so good on the ball.
“He can play wide, in the middle, as a nine.
“We try to use him in one position at the moment in the middle of the pitch.
“But it depends a little bit on the game plan we have and sometimes we move him wide a little bit like he did many times against Brighton.
“We try to give him the opportunity to enjoy his football because, with him, that is the main thing.”
And after struggling to get into the game when played back in his old wide position for England in the Nations League, Palmer, Maresca and Chelsea fans will be desperate to see him back in the No10 when the Blues head to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Sunday.