Joe Cole couldn’t be more wrong with extraordinary Cole Palmer claim
Joe Cole made an extraordinary claim regarding Cole Palmer ahead of Chelsea’s 3-1 loss against Bayern Munich.
Palmer scored Chelsea’s only goal after Harry Kane broke a Champions League record, scoring a brace for Bayern Munich.
The hosts took the lead through a Trevoh Chalobah own goal before Kane scored a penalty to double the lead, as Bayern Munich demolished Chelsea.
Pat Nevin was astounded that the referee took so long to award Bayern Munich’s penalty against Chelsea, with Kane eventually converting the spot kick.
Joe Cole’s claim of Cole Palmer being a top five player in the world is wrong
When discussing the best players in world football, the discussion often brings up numerous contentious candidates.
But perhaps none less than Joe Cole’s claim on TNT Sports, that Palmer belongs in that bracket alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.
Cole said: “I think he’s in the top five players in the world. I do. I think this season he’s going to show the world that ability.”
Many players can have a case made for them to place them amongst the best in the world, but the claim from Cole seems far-stretched, seeing as Palmer’s goal against Bayern Munich was just his second from open play since January 2025.
Cole Palmer’s goal record holds him back
Since the turn of the year, Palmer has notched only six goal contributions in 23 Premier League matches.
Haaland comparatively has 15 goals in the same time frame, despite Man City’s struggles last season, while Salah has 22 playing in a similar position.
| Most goals in Europe’s top five leagues 2024-25 | Goals |
| Kylian Mbappe | 31 |
| Mohamed Salah | 29 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 27 |
| Harry Kane | 26 |
| Mateo Retegui | 25 |
It is also difficult to quantify a claim like Cole’s when defenders and midfielders are less likely to have comparable numbers or roles to a player like Palmer, which muddies the debate.
While undoubtedly a top quality player, and one of the best young stars in football at present, it’s difficult to make a substantiated claim that Palmer is one of the world’s five best footballers at the present moment.