While Cole Palmer had little to say in Jadon Sancho’s superb finish that sparked Chelsea’s comeback at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the England international was an integral part of the next three as he inspired the Blues to win the derby.
The 22-year-old coolly scored a penalty to draw the Blues level, before his labyrinthine run and shot set up an Enzo Fernandez volley to make it 3-2.
A cheeky penalty from ‘Panenka’ in his second goal capped an excellent performance from Palmer, prompting former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to compare him to Chelsea football legends.
“People fear [him] when he has the ball,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “When you look at Chelsea over the years, you look at stylish players and you look at Gianfranco Zola and Eden Hazard. He has probably already done more than Zola in his 18 months at the club.
“He will be remembered as one of Chelsea’s most important players if he continues to do what he does. He is a very special player, and that is not only in the Premier League, but also in Europe and in world football.”
It has taken Palmer just 48 Premier League games to reach 50 goal involvements (33 goals, 17 assists).
He is the fourth fastest to reach that total, along with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (39), former Newcastle striker Andy Cole (43) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (46) who achieved it in fewer games for a club in the competition. .
Former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: “Palmer’s move to Chelsea has been life-changing.
“The things he does with the ball are terrifying. He is a retro player, as if he were playing with his teammates. It doesn’t involve any effort for him.”
