Mauricio Pochettino has urged his Chelsea players to prove they are not “Cole Palmer Football Club” ahead of tonight’s London derby at Arsenal.
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Chelsea’s top scorer is a major doubt for Tuesday's trip to Emirates Stadium with illness.
“With or without Cole we always believe we can win. The most important thing is the team and the collective," Pochettino told the club's official website.
"He is an important part of the team and is doing fantastic for us, but we are Chelsea and we have plenty of players that can perform and do the job.
“It’s a good challenge for the team-mates. If I am a team-mate of Cole Palmer in his position or a similar position, I am going to be motivated to go there tomorrow and show this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club.”
What do the stats show?
Palmer has been in sensational form this season and his 20 Premier League goals have put him level with Erling Haaland in the race for the 2023/24 Castrol Golden Boot.
Further statistics underline his importance to the Blues.
When Palmer starts, Chelsea score an average of 2.2 goals per match, but that drops to 1.3 when he doesn't start.
Their win percentage also drops, albeit less significantly, from 43.5 per cent to 37.5 per cent.
Chelsea with/without Palmer in PL 23/24
| With Palmer starting | 2023/24 | Without Palmer starting |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Matches | 8 |
| 10 | Wins | 3 |
| 6 | Draws | 2 |
| 7 | Losses | 3 |
| 51 | Goals for | 10 |
| 2.2 | Ave. goals for | 1.3 |
| 43 | Goals against | 9 |
| 1.9 | Ave. goals against | 1.1 |
| 43.5% | Win ratio | 37.5% |
| 1.57 | Pts/match | 1.38 |
In terms of points per match, there initially appears to be little difference, with Chelsea averaging 1.57 with Palmer in their starting line-up and 1.38 without him.
However, Palmer's goals alone have earned Chelsea a massive 13 points, the third-biggest individual contribution in the Premier League.
His strikes have accounted for a massive 32.8 per cent of Chelsea's Premier League total this season. Only Dominic Solanke has a higher percentage with AFC Bournemouth.
Most influential goalscorers in PL 23/24
| Player | Pts won | Player | Share of team's goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solanke | 15 | Solanke | 37.5% |
| Watkins | 14 | Palmer | 32.8% |
| Palmer | 13 | Wood | 28.6% |
| Son | 12 | Bowen | 27.8% |
| McTominay | 12 | Watkins | 26.8% |