Cole Palmer is Killing at Chelsea

Cole Palmer, the 21-year-old winger who moved from Manchester City to Chelsea last summer, is having a sensational season in England. He has scored 10 goals and provided 15 assists in 25 appearances, helping Chelsea challenge for the Premier League title and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He has also earned his first cap for England, scoring a stunning goal against Germany in a friendly match.

Palmer's rise to stardom has impressed many fans and pundits, who praise his technical ability, creativity, and versatility. He can play as an attacking midfielder or a winger and has formed a lethal partnership with Raheem Sterling, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City some seasons ago.

However, Palmer's former club Manchester City has no regrets about letting him go, according to their manager Pep Guardiola. Guardiola said that he accepts full responsibility for Palmer's departure, as he could not guarantee him regular game time at City. He also said that he is happy about Palmer's success at Chelsea and that he still considers him a friend and a great player.

Guardiola said: "Cole is a fantastic player and a fantastic person. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. He decided to leave because he wanted to play more, and I understand that. It was my decision, and I take full responsibility for it. But I have no regrets, because we have many talented players in our squad, and we are doing very well this season. I am happy for Cole, and I wish him all the best at Chelsea. He is still my friend, and I always enjoy watching him play."

Palmer will had the chance to return to the Etihad when City hosted Chelsea over the weekend with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. 

Palmer's Improvement

Palmer has been amazing at Chelsea and in his first two months there he started more league games than he did in three years with City. He also scored his first Premier League goal from a penalty at Burnley. He has added nine more goals since then, earning the nickname ‘Cold Palmer’ from his team-mate Noni Madueke. His goals have made him one of the top 10 scorers in the league this season. If you count his six assists, he is among the top six players for goal involvement.

He has scored more goals than any City player except Erling Haaland and only Phil Foden has more assists than him. The Chelsea winger has said he has done better than he expected, even though he had high standards for himself. “I can’t lie about that. I wanted to make the team, play and show my skills. But to make the team right away and do so well has been a surprise to me, honestly,” he said in his Sky Sports interview.

Guardiola was not surprised though, saying he knew that Palmer would do well once he played regularly. “I had no doubts about his talent,” the City coach said at a press conference before Palmer’s comeback to the Etihad Stadium. “He is playing like a star player. He wanted the playing time, it was only a matter of time to show his great talent. Cole Palmer is a brilliant player and a nice guy and of course I wish him all the best at Chelsea.”
Palmer could have become as vital to City as Phil Foden, who also grew up in the club’s academy. Or he could have been like Rico Lewis or Oscar Bobb, valued squad players who have to be patient for playing time and make do with limited opportunities.
Palmer left his role as a peripheral player in a serial winning team to be one of the key players in a mid-table team. He still has a chance to win a trophy or two, with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup.

City may regret letting Palmer go to Chelsea if he can help them lose more points on Saturday as he did in November. But they may have avoided disrupting squad harmony by doing so.
Guardiola has always preferred having a small squad, where everyone feels valued, over a large group with some unhappy, underappreciated individuals. The coach had a big issue with Joao Cancelo last season and Palmer could have caused him trouble.

Rather than having a bitter breakup in the future, the fact that Palmer left City when he did seems like a mutual separation that was good for everyone. The Cityzens will hope Palmer does not enjoy his comeback to his old home on Saturday, but there should be no remorse about a transfer that, so far, is benefiting everyone.