“Chelsea can relaunch Cole Palmer’s career in style.”

The turbulence in Cole Palmer’s career has raised concerns among fans and experts, as the young Chelsea talent seems to be going through a less inspired phase. Named the eighth-best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in September, the 23-year-old Palmer is still regarded as “untouchable” within the London club. Former coach Enzo Maresca even described him as the “best player” on the team, while his successor, Liam Rosenior, has had several meetings with the forward since taking over the team. However, even Palmer himself acknowledges that he is not performing at his best, a situation that has various explanations.

In impactful statements, the CEO of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Maheta Molango, addressed what he considers to be the player’s burnout. “When I look at someone like Cole Palmer, it’s already three consecutive summers without a break,” Molango stated during the Financial Times Business of Football Summit. “People say he’s a millionaire – yes, he is. But that doesn’t give him an extra lung or an extra leg. I want to see Cole Palmer on the pitch because he is the one who makes me dream.”

This lack of rest has resulted in an impressive total of 112 matches played between club and country in the last three years, including demanding competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup and the U21 European Championship. The increased demands on Palmer have not gone unnoticed, and his physical condition began to deteriorate, culminating in persistent groin pain at the end of last season.

Even after a period of more than six weeks out of action, the player is still not fully recovered, with Chelsea’s medical team closely monitoring his condition. Following the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal, Rosenior was asked about Palmer’s performance and the decision to substitute him. “He played 83 minutes. That was tactical. When I took him off, he and Enzo [Fernandez] both had yellow cards, and I wanted Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] and Liam [Delap] to come on to bring some freshness, which I felt they did. He is absolutely fine to start the game against Aston Villa on Wednesday.”

However, the decision to substitute Palmer while the team was trying to equalize surprised some, considering that he is usually responsible for many of the team’s goals and creativity. But, looking at the data, Rosenior’s choice seems justified. Since returning from injury, Palmer has recorded seven goals and three assists in 16 matches, but four of those goals were penalties. Notably, 40% of Palmer’s goals in the Premier League are penalties, a figure that places him among the players with the highest proportion of converted penalties in the league’s history.

Since his debut for Chelsea until the match against Bournemouth in January 2025, Palmer has scored 36 league goals (33% of them from penalties) and provided 17 assists in 54 games. However, since then, the numbers have dropped drastically: only nine goals (66% from penalties) and three assists in 33 matches. Furthermore, the player has made fewer shots, created fewer chances, and recorded lower numbers in terms of expected goals and expected assists.

Interestingly, Chelsea has shown that it can compete without him. Without Palmer, the team has won 73% of its matches this season, compared to just 24% when he is on the pitch. The average points per game without him is 2.27, in contrast to 1.18 when he plays, and the team has improved from 1.5 to 2.2 goals per game in his absence. These numbers are intriguing, especially considering Palmer’s decisive performances in the Conference League final against Real Betis and the Club World Cup victory.

With Palmer’s future uncertain, the big question is: can Chelsea regain the form of its young prodigy and boost his career, or is the pressure affecting his performance irreversibly? The answer could very well determine not only his future, but also the team’s success in the current season.