Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has publicly acknowledged Cole Palmer as the best player in his squad, urging the 23-year-old to show more initiative during matches following their Club World Cup opener against Los Angeles FC.
Maresca's comments came after Palmer had previously expressed frustration during Chelsea's UEFA Europa Conference League final victory last month, where he claimed to be "sick of going backwards and sideways" during the match against Real Betis.
Despite falling behind early in that final, Palmer turned the game around with two assists as Chelsea secured a commanding 4-1 victory to lift the trophy.
Palmer's Performance in Club World Cup Opener
In Chelsea's first Club World Cup 2025 match against LAFC, Palmer demonstrated his playmaking abilities by delivering seven passes into the final third and creating one chance, although he didn't register a goal or assist in the victory.
"This is the Cole that we expect. After the Conference League final, he said that he was quite bored receiving the ball and so he decided to do something different," Maresca explained.
"The day after that interview I said to him, 'But you can do that since the first minute, why are you waiting so long? Why don't you do the same after one minute?'"
The Italian manager added: "[Against LAFC], he was exactly doing what we asked him to do. We are happy when he does that because I said many times that Cole is our best player, he is a top player and hopefully he can continue to do the right things."
Chelsea's Club World Cup Campaign
Chelsea began their Club World Cup 2025 journey with a victory over Los Angeles FC, with new signing Liam Delap making an immediate impact by providing an assist on his debut for the London club.
The Blues are looking to build on their recent Europa Conference League success as they compete in the expanded Club World Cup format, with Palmer expected to play a crucial role in their campaign.
Chelsea's transfer activities continue alongside the tournament, with reports indicating the club is in talks to sign Malick Fofana and Woltemade as they strengthen their squad under Maresca's leadership.
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently commented that Chelsea fans had been hoping for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen rather than Delap, highlighting the ongoing discussions around the club's transfer strategy.
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