London: Chelsea’s over-reliance on Cole Palmer is affecting his form, manager Enzo Maresca said Monday, with the England star going through his driest run since moving to the London club.
Palmer hasn’t scored in his last six games and his last assist came 13 matches ago.
His poor form is a big factor in the downturn in fortunes of Chelsea, who have dropped from second to seventh in the Premier League amid a run of two wins from 10 games and are also out of the FA Cup.
Palmer has been a revelation since joining from Manchester City in September 2023, scoring 22 league goals last season — second only to City’s Erling Haaland — and 14 this season. He was visibly frustrated with his Chelsea teammates during the 2-1 loss at Aston Villa on Saturday.
“I’m not concerned,” Maresca said. “I’m always concerned about general performances, but I’m not concerned about Cole because he is a human being. During the season, he can have some moments where he is struggling a little bit more.”