Calum McFarlane said he had not suggested Cole Palmer was not at his top level as Chelsea head into Saturday afternoon’s meeting with Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. The Chelsea coach pushed back after a reporter said Palmer had not been at the top level this season, making clear he was not writing off the 23-year-old forward.
“You’re suggesting that, I’m not suggesting that,” McFarlane said, after adding that Palmer has had some really good games for Chelsea this year. He said the forward has also had a lot of injuries to deal with and that he was really pleased with him on Saturday against Liverpool, when Palmer showed his level and quality in moments.
The comments come as Palmer goes into the next stretch of Chelsea’s season under pressure and under scrutiny. He has been hampered all season by a complex groin injury that needs day-to-day attention and care, while he has also had other muscular issues. Even so, he has scored 10 goals in all competitions, a return that puts him on course for his lowest-scoring season since Chelsea signed him from Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
That is the backdrop to Saturday’s match at Wembley, where Chelsea face the club they took Palmer from almost three years ago. The game has become a marker not just for Chelsea’s season, but for Palmer’s form as he tries to put a stop-start campaign behind him and deliver when his manager most needs it.
McFarlane said he is hopeful Palmer can produce that level from now until the end of the season. He called him a top player who has proved that many times, a reminder that Chelsea still see his ceiling as far higher than the numbers suggest. For Palmer, the next chance comes quickly, and it comes against the team that once decided he was ready to leave.
