What's Going On, Cole Palmer?

The Stamford Bridge public has begun to wonder. What is actually happening to their favorite player, Cole Palmer? The Chelsea attacking midfielder, known for being exceptionally "cold" against opposing defenses, has recently started to "heat up." Signs of decline have been evident in recent months.

Like the character Elsa in the animated film Frozen, who can freeze everything around her, so is Palmer. When he dribbles the ball into the penalty box, opposing players seem to freeze. Suddenly, the ball is already in the net. It is only fitting that his nickname is "Cold Palmer."

The problem is, Palmer's magical touch is weakening. This hypothesis is reflected in the sudden halt in his goal and assist production. It has been six matches, and he has not contributed a single goal or assist. Yet, he previously scored 14 goals and provided 6 assists in the first 21 matches of the English Premier League.

Cole Palmer is just a normal person. The most important thing is that he is happy and he knows that is normal.

Everything would seem more logical if Chelsea were experiencing a goal drought. In reality, they are not. "The Blues," as they are nicknamed, had just secured a 4-0 victory over Southampton on Wednesday (26/2/2025). Palmer's name was absent from the list of goal scorers or assist providers.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is reluctant to draw conclusions too quickly. For him, all star players on every team have certainly experienced a drought in goals or assists. "Cole Palmer is just an ordinary human being. The most important thing is that he is happy and understands that it is something normal," he said.

If one wishes to trace the root cause of this trend, the easiest way is to compare the squad's situation. What has been missing from Palmer since January 15, the last time he scored a goal? It is evident that forward Nicolas Jackson has been absent in the last three matches due to a thigh injury.

According to former England attacking midfielder Paul Merson, the two issues are interconnected. “He (Palmer) misses Jackson. If you look at him, he seems to be doing everything on his own now. When Jackson was there, they were more spread out,” he told Sky Sports.

Palmer plays as a "number 10" or just behind the striker in Maresca's 4-2-3-1 system. Typically, Jackson, who leads the front line, is tasked with disrupting the opponent's defensive concentration with his sprinting speed. Palmer often takes advantage of the resulting chaos.

The statistics support Merson's theory. Palmer has scored 34 goals and assisted 17 in 53 appearances alongside Jackson. Without the striker, he has contributed just two goals in six games. "No disrespect to Palmer, but he needs pace up front to open up the game. It's too tight at the moment," he added.

Another perspective can be seen from the advanced statistics. Are the numbers that can support the 22-year-old's goal and assist production also decreasing? The Analystshows comparative data on the quality of shots this season, between before and after the goal drought.

It turns out that in the statistical records per 90 minutes, Palmer actually experienced an increase in the number of shots from 3.62 times to 3.88 times. His touches in the penalty box also increased from 4 to 4.7 times. Only the average expected goals (xG) decreased, from 0.13 to 0.11.

The sample size of the last six games is too small to compare with the first half of the season. However, it is enough to show that there is no major problem in the goal-making process. Palmer has not "disappeared" despite his goal drought.

Tottenham Hotspur Coach Ange Postecoglou believes that assist statistics are not important to count. Every player can be recorded as an assist contributor just by being lucky. Especially when the last pass before the goal comes from their own defense.

However, assist statistics are relevant when discussing Palmer. Because, since moving from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, he has been one of the best assist machines in the Premier League. His creativity drives Chelsea's productivity.

Therefore, it seems like something is wrong when Palmer has not produced an assist for so long. He last contributed an assist in early December or has been in a drought for 14 consecutive games. Before that, he averaged almost one assist every two games.

The Analyst's comparative data, before and after the assist drought, again shows something interesting. Palmer's chance creation per 90 minutes has indeed decreased quite drastically, from 2.4 to 1.7. However, his expected assists (xA) has actually increased from 0.16 to 0.24.

This means that even though Palmer's creation is not as much as before, it can be balanced with the quality of the pass. The final pass has the potential to produce a bigger goal than before. As with the quality of the shot, there seems to be no serious problem in terms of creativity.

It is not easy for Palmer. At a very young age, he has to bear the heaviest burden of the “Blue” squad. However, despite the current bad trend, Palmer will actually be fine if you look at his still very big role outside of goals and assists.

Like many other star players, “Cold Palmer” just needs a little momentum to get back to his best. When the goal or assist tap opens, it will flow. That belief is also what he holds. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” he explained after the midweek match. (AP/REUTERS)