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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said Cole Palmer can do “what no one expects” after his penalty ended a 16-week scoring drought to help beat Premier League champions Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer looked back to his brilliant best and his goal in stoppage time was no more than a dynamic individual display warranted as the Blues landed a significant blow in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea were excellent against an admittedly much-changed Liverpool side, Arne Slot making six alterations to the team that secured the club’s 20th title a week ago, and whatever disruption it made to their rhythm was readily exploited by the hosts.
Enzo Fernandez swept the first in after three minutes, Jarell Quansah on only his third league start of the season scored a bizarre own-goal, then after Virgil van Dijk had briefly reduced the arrears, Palmer relieved months of frustration from the spot following Quansah’s foul on Moises Caicedo.
“We saw Cole day by day at the training ground and he’s exactly the same way, scoring goals, happy,” said Maresca, whose side moved level on points with fourth-placed Newcastle.
“For sure when he doesn’t score goals he’s not happy and the reason why is he wants to help the team and the club reach something important.
“He’s happy for sure because he scored and we won but I didn’t see him different from three months ago. He scored 14 goals in (the first) 20 Premier League games.”
It might have been better for the England forward but he struck the inside of the post from virtually on the byline after a slaloming run.
“He’s that kind of player that can do things no one expects,” said Maresca. “They’re different players. When he has the ball I expect anything because he can do anything.”
Palmer told Sky Sports: “I felt normal. Obviously s*** happens. I went three months without scoring but it just gives me more motivation, more fight to do well, not just for myself but for the team.
“You know yourself social media is just full of idiots, trolls or whatever, I don’t pay no attention. To score today I’m happy. It’s only one and I’ve got to keep improving to try and reach my levels.”
Chelsea gave Liverpool – who were playing for the first time since being crowned champions – a guard of honour ahead of kick off, though it was a subdued display from Slot’s side for whom Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliot were making their first league starts.
The gap between the teams now stands at 19 points, though Slot reflected on a point earlier in the season when Chelsea had briefly looked to be his side’s closest challengers.
“I expected them to be a threat this season,” he said. “At Anfield they were better than us, they were so close to us. It’s a complete surprise to me that we’re 19 points clear. I didn’t feel that at all when we played them.
“If a team like this with so much quality, if we’re able to be 19 points ahead of them, it’s a big compliment for our players.”
English (US) ·