'Only thing we can do': Enzo Maresca shares his plan to help Cole Palmer get the better of his markers

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea star Cole Palmer has become a target during Premier League games.

Cole Palmer is one of the most dangerous attackers — perhaps the most dangerous — in the division right now.

The 22-year-old has already recorded 12 goal contributions in the Premier League this season.

Cole Palmer’s 2024/25 Premier League stats Total
Appearances 9
Goals 7
Assists 5

As a result, Palmer is now being man-marked during games. However, Enzo Maresca may have come up with a solution for this issue that the Englishman now has to deal with. Maresca has also hinted that Palmer and Joao Felix could both start in the same team in the future.

Cole Palmer of Chelsea in action during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Newcastle United FC at Stamford Bridge on October 27, 2024 ...
Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Enzo Maresca’s masterplan

Against Newcastle United last weekend, Maresca had Palmer move into the left to avoid being man-marked by Joelinton, and it is a tactic that the Chelsea manager could employ going forward it seems.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror and the rest of the English media ahead of Chelsea‘s game against Manchester United, Maresca said: “The only thing we can do is what we did against Newcastle. We’ll move Cole a little bit from his position to give him more time and space.

“The reason he played on the other side that day was because Joelinton would have man-marked him which will happen in so many games.”

Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-1, with Palmer scoring the winning goal. Chelsea fans thought Palmer should have started when the Blues took on the Magpies again in the Carabao Cup, but Maresca decided to rest him.

Cole Palmer’s rivals Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah

After winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Young Player of the Year awards last term, Palmer will be hoping he can claim the senior counterparts of those honours this time around.

To do that, though, the England international is going to have to outperform the likes of Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah, who are also having great campaigns.

Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah’s 2024/25 Premier League stats Appearances Goals Assists
Bukayo Saka 9 3 7
Mohamed Salah 10 7 5

Palmer will be looking to add to his tally of goal contributions when Chelsea travel to Old Trafford later. Jason Cundy has backed Chelsea to win, predicting a 3-2 victory for his former club.

If Palmer has a good game, there is no reason why Chelsea cannot take all three points back to Stamford Bridge.



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