Palmer given 'work harder' warning after being found out during Chelsea games

Cole Palmer has been told to 'work harder' by a former Chelsea defender as the talismanic attacker continues to endure a tough time in front of goal after a sensational start

Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer has been urged to 'work harder' by former Blues defender William Gallas, as the Englishman continues to struggle in front of goal. The £42.5million spent to bring the Englishman to West London from Manchester City in September 2023 raised eyebrows, but any doubts were quickly dispelled.

The 22-year-old hit the ground running, ending his debut season with an impressive 27 goals and 15 assists under Mauricio Pochettino. Palmer was named Chelsea's Player of the Season and continued his stellar form into the current Premier League campaign, notably scoring a goal and providing three assists against Wolves early on, followed by a four-goal performance against Brighton.

However, compared to these high standards, Palmer's recent form has been disappointing. The dynamic forward hasn't scored in the Premier League since mid-January, a concerning drought at a crucial time when Chelsea are battling for Champions League qualification. Gallas, who also played for Arsenal and Tottenham, has now called on Palmer to step up his game amid mounting pressure, fearing that opponents have figured out how to neutralise him.

"Everyone has put too much pressure on Cole Palmer, people were calling him the best player in England," Gallas stated, speaking to Slingo. "Unfortunately, he hasn't scored since January and hasn't had the same impact in games recently. He's only 22 years old, we all need to leave him alone.

"Palmer knows everyone is waiting for him to reach the standard he set, but it can be difficult because some different factors could be affecting him.

"Opponents know how he plays now, he doesn't get the opportunities to score or assist goals now because defenders know not to give him the time on the ball. Palmer now needs to work harder on creating a solution to get back to scoring goals."

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca suggests that Palmer's struggles are partly down to facing focused defending this season, highlighting the forward's standout performances previously at Stamford Bridge as reasons for his marked man status.

However, the Italian does feel as though Palmer will soon bounce back and that his contributions in the early part of the season have not gone unnoticed, reports Football London.

"This is the first moment for Cole where he's struggling a little bit in general," explained Maresca. "The only thing is he has to do because he's so good is continue working hard.

"For sure, very soon he is going to start scoring goals for us. To score 14 goals in 20 games is a huge number, a fantastic number, now it's a moment for him where he struggles, but he has to continue because for sure he is going to score goals very soon.

"I think there are different reasons why. For sure, a moment where you struggle is part of a career, the process every season. Last year, he had a fantastic season.

"This season, we said many times, the way other teams approach him is different. Most of the time he's marked man to man, that is more difficult for any player in the world.

"But even with that, he scored 14 goals in the first 20 games. For me, it's just a matter of a bad moment and in that moment that he's able to score a goal it will probably change again."