90min

Enzo Maresca names lesson Cole Palmer must quickly learn

  • Palmer has picked up from where he left off in breathtaking first year at Chelsea
  • Blues playmaker now the focus of attention for opposition defenders
  • Chelsea head coach Maresca warns of learning curve ahead

By Toby Cudworth

Cole Palmer has seven Premier League goals and five assists to his name
Cole Palmer has seven Premier League goals and five assists to his name / JUSTIN TALLIS/GettyImages
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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says Cole Palmer must learn to deal with being man-marked if he's to take his game to the next level and not get frustrated by the lack of space.

Palmer has shown that his blockbuster debut season at Stamford Bridge was no fluke, bagging seven goals and five assists in the Blues' first nine Premier League games of 2024/25.

The 22-year-old's meteoric rise now sees him regarded as one of the world's best attacking midfielders, with opposition defenders now paying far more attention to his movements than they did during his first year in west London.

Palmer will be the focus for many during Chelsea's clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford – an occasion that could see Casemiro tasked with stifling the impact of the former Manchester City playmaker – and Maresca says that his young star must get used to his opponents sticking close to him and not get frustrated if things don't go his way.

"I am ready for that but Cole, I don't know if he's ready," Maresca told reporters. "The next step for Cole is not to get frustrated when teams mark him man to man, because all of the best players in the world are marked man to man.

Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca feels Cole Palmer must get used to man marking / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

"Probably it was the opposite [last season]. They weren't too worried about marking Cole. They are now worried because of last year so now he has to get used to it. The next step is going to be more difficult but he can do it."

Palmer's success has largely come from central areas, operating just behind lead striker Nicolas Jackson, but he's demonstrated that he's capable of drifting in from both the right and left flank.

Against Newcastle United in a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, Palmer started on the left and was supported by captain Reece James - switched over to play at left-back as part of a tactical switch from Maresca.

The move paid dividends as Palmer netted Chelsea's winner, and a similar impact at Old Trafford would help propel the five-time Premier League champions into the top three.

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