Football writer Alex Keble looks at the statistics to see why Cole Palmer is being considered the best player in the Premier League.
Palmer’s record-breaking performance, scoring FOUR first-half goals against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, makes it hard to disagree with Jamie Carragher’s statement, “He’s the best player in the Premier League.”
Chelsea’s 22-year-old playmaker produced four goals in 19 minutes and 57 seconds taking his tally this season to 10 goal involvements - six goals and four assists - in just six Premier League matches.
It's an incredible start and yet nothing less than we expected after his sensational debut campaign for Chelsea in 2023/24, where he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League.
In fact, since the start of last season Palmer has delivered 43 goal involvements, scoring 28 goals and setting up 15, more than anyone else in the league.
Most PL goals and assists since 2023/24
| Player | Goals | Assists | Total |
| Cole Palmer | 28 | 15 | 43 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | 37 | 5 | 42 |
| Ollie Watkins | 23 | 15 | 38 |
| Mohamed Salah | 22 | 14 | 36 |
| Bukayo Saka | 17 | 14 | 31 |
| Son Heung-min | 19 | 12 | 31 |
As it stands, Palmer is statistically the best attacker in the Premier League, averaging a goal or assist every 73 minutes, which isn’t just the best rate of any player since the start of 2023/24 but the best rate of any Chelsea player in Premier League history who has played as least 500 minutes.
That means Palmer’s output, at this early stage in his career, is better than even Frank Lampard’s or Eden Hazard’s - an achievement all the more extraordinary considering Chelsea haven’t been challenging at the top these past 14 months.
And Palmer seems to be getting better and better, thanks in part to the change of manager over the summer.
Maresca is playing Palmer in his best position
Enzo Maresca has got the best out of Palmer for two main reasons: utilising direct, fast-paced football and using Palmer in a roaming No 10 position.
Mauricio Pochettino only started Palmer as a No 10 in 12 Premier League matches last season, preferring instead to play him on the right wing, where he lacked passing options and ended up competing with a team-mate for space when he moved infield.
By contrast, Maresca has started Palmer in central attacking midfield in five out of six matches in 2024/25 and although Palmer’s heat map shows he still moves out to the right, he is in central areas far more often.
The difference is obvious. Palmer has more opportunities from this position to create chances and to shoot at goal, although just as significant is Maresca’s movement towards more direct tactics.
Chelsea’s fast and direct tactics suit Palmer
Palmer is often making a run on the shoulder of the last defender to go through on goal alongside Nicolas Jackson, yet he is just as often the man playing the through-ball from a deeper right-sided position.
He is given the freedom to do this by Maresca, who has seemingly adapted his tactical set-up to suit the characteristics of the squad he inherited.
Rather than build up with slow possession, Maresca is allowing his players to win the ball high and attack in straight lines.
Chelsea are joint-top of the Premier League for fast breaks with 13, second for through-balls with 20 and joint-second for successful take-ons with 57.
How Chelsea's attack ranks in 2024/25
| Stats | Total | PL rank |
| Fast breaks | 13 | =1st |
|---|---|---|
| Through-balls | 20 | =2nd |
| Succ. take-ons | 57 | =2nd |
Multiple times this season Chelsea have won the ball high and transitioned with a two-on-two or three-on-three, with Palmer always involved.
He loves the space this kind of football encourages, excelling in end-to-end matches, which affords him the room to shoot, inside the box and out. The willing runners allow Palmer to create chances, with 17 so far - 10 more than any other Chelsea player.
Notably, Palmer’s average touches per 90 have dropped from 60.5 under Pochettino to 48.4. It’s about quality, not quantity, and the instruction to deliver forward passes whenever possible is getting more out of the Chelsea playmaker.
Maresca is also squeezing the best out of Jackson, who has four goals and three assists this season, and Noni Madueke, with three goals. In just a couple of matches he also appears to have unlocked Jadon Sancho’s talents.
The combined effect is that Chelsea are two points off the top of the table, the highest scorers in the competition and, quite possibly, in possession of the best player in the Premier League.
