Jamie Carragher has heaped praise on Cole Palmer – who Manchester City sold on deadline day – after he shone for Chelsea on Monday night.
The 21-year-old was given his first start for Chelsea in the Premier League by Mauricio Pochettino after impressing on his full debut in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win over Brighton.
Some Manchester City fans surely enjoyed seeing Cole Palmer – their academy graduate – shine, and Jamie Carragher has now singled the Chelsea No.20 out for praise…
What’s the story?
Well, the £75,000-a-week man made Chelsea look a lot better as he fired them to a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Carragher specifically praised Palmer for his role in Chelsea’s second goal as he forced Tim Ream into a mistake with a smart bit of pressing, before showing his awareness to slot Armando Broja in after winning the ball back.
The 45-year-old said on Sky Sports Monday Night Football: “I think this is fantastic because yes, we have seen Mudryk and the position he takes up and the run he takes, but this is a different kind of run (from Palmer).
“Palmer is only new to the team, but the way he closes down and shapes his body to force Tim Ream to make a pass is absolutely brilliant. His manager will be pleased with Palmer defensively.”
Cole Palmer is making Manchester City look even better
In our view, the fact Palmer stands out above millions of pounds worth of talent at Chelsea speaks volumes about the coaching at Manchester City.
The England Under-21 international does the basics to perfection, and you can tell he’s enjoyed a fine footballing education at the Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea have spent over £1bn on new signings under Todd Boehly, and it isn’t an exaggeration to say that Palmer could be the best addition of the lot based on what we have seen so far.
Furthermore, the fact Manchester City feel comfortable enough to let a player of this quality leave just goes to show how talented Pep Guardiola’s squad really is.
