'You will realise': Pat Nevin says Chelsea player and Lionel Messi have one thing in common
Cole Palmer’s global status may have leaped even further by his heroics for Chelsea this summer.
As Chelsea won the Club World Cup tournament in the United States, Cole Palmer was yet again the talisman for his team. In particular, the English playmaker scored two goals and created an assist in the 3-0 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
The 23-year-old Blues star deservedly won the Golden Ball prize, which is awarded to the tournament’s best player.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez hailed Palmer as the world’s best after yet another top-class performance in a cup final. It was a magical way for him to sign off from a long and memorable 2024/25 campaign.
| Season | Appearnaces | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
| 2024/25 | 52 | 18 | 14 | 2 |
| 2023/24 | 45 | 25 | 15 | 0 |
Pat Nevin spots what Cole Palmer and Lionel Messi have in common
According to Pat Nevin, Chelsea’s Palmer falls in the world-class bracket because of the intelligence in his overall game, rather than relying on pace.
He points out that’s one thing he has in common with football icon Lionel Messi, 38, who’s still playing now in Inter Miami colours.
Nevin said in the BBC Football Extra newsletter (14 July): “Just look at the game now and you will realise that although you generally have to be fast, slow players rarely survive now, excessive speed still doesn’t outdo skill, intelligence and game awareness. Cole Palmer is quite fast, but that absolutely is not why he is a world-class player. Lionel Messi is very fast with the ball at his feet, but pace never defined him, it was ability.”
Of course, Palmer will have one of the best football careers ever if he can achieve even half of what Messi has done. It’s not really fair to compare any player to the Argentine superstar.
However, we understand the sentiment that Palmer is just a true footballer. On his day, the Chelsea attacking midfielder can stack up against any of the current stars across the globe, proving that in a stellar first two years in West London.
Liam Delap called Palmer one of the world’s top stars even before he joined Chelsea to become his teammate.
Meanwhile, Joe Cole compared Palmer to Messi midway through last season because of the pace he plays the game at.
Cole Palmer could approach Eden Hazard greatness
If you’re looking for the most technically gifted footballer to play for Chelsea in the 21st century, Eden Hazard should be the most popular answer.
The retired 34-year-old winger lit up Stamford Bridge during a seven-year spell for the Blues between 2012 and 2019, winning six trophies during that time. He was the type of individual talent that stood out on a football pitch.
The comparison between Hazard and Palmer across their respective first two years at Chelsea makes for very interesting reading.
Of course, Hazard’s game was far more than just numbers, something that Chelsea fans who watched him every week will testify to. But people may start to realise that Palmer is a modern great doing some equally impressive stuff for the Blues.
Palmer has followed in Hazard’s footsteps by taking the No.10 shirt, so let’s see what legacy he leaves at the club by the time he finishes.
from Chelsea FC Latest News & Club Updates | The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/Hv2BZKR
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