Alan Shearer loves what he saw Cole Palmer tell Chelsea teammates vs Aston Villa
Cole Palmer has been hailed by Alan Shearer for his instructions to his Chelsea teammates in their 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
The Blues continued their excellent recent form with victory over Unai Emery’s side at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon (1st December).
Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez had the hosts 2-0 after an error-strewn first-half from the visitors, before Palmer rounded off the win with an excellent strike late on.
It was not just that goal that impressed Shearer when it came to the former Man City man’s performance against Villa, with his leadership on the pitch also highlighted.
Speaking on Match of the Day 2 about the high press Chelsea put on the opposition, the Premier League’s record scorer was keen to point out Palmer’s involvement in that.
While running a clip of the Blues’ attack pressuring the Villa defence straight from the kick-off, Shearer said (51m): “Chelsea were brilliant at that and they scored early on in the game but they were just relentless in the game and I love Palmer’s reaction here.
“If you just watch Palmer here look at him telling everyone, urging everyone ‘get forward, get up with us, go and press, come on follow us up to that end of the pitch’.”
Cole Palmer important to Chelsea for more than just his ability
Football Insider Opinion
The quality that he has shown ever since he arrived at Stamford Bridge is always going to mean the 22-year-old will be a key player for the club.
Moments like this though prove that it is not his own skills with the ball at his feet that make him so vital for the Blues.
The way he is urging his Chelsea teammates to get forward here to hunt in packs, also demonstrates the leadership that Palmer possesses, even at such an early stage of his career.
When it comes in the form of directing moves such as this, it could be crucial to carrying out Maresca’s instructions on the pitch, and picking up positive results in the process.
Chelsea do have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, so seeing Palmer step up to take responsibility such as this to guide other players through, is also a bonus for them.
With that in mind, the decision to bring him to the club from Man City looks more and more like an excellent piece of business with every game.
In other news, Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has issued an update on his latest injury setback.
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