Chelsea supporters online have expressed concern about Cole Palmer’s dip in form following their 4-1 win over Djurgarden in the first leg of the Conference League semifinal on Thursday, May 1. Palmer, who has failed to score in his last 18 appearances across competitions, was called out for his display against the Swedish side.
Following a cross from Enzo Fernandez, Jadon Sancho opened the scoring for the Blues in the 12th minute. At the brink of halftime (43′), Fernandez turned provider once again, playing in Noni Madueke, who neatly placed the ball into bottom left corner to double Chelsea’s lead.
Nicolas Jackson scored a simple tap-in in the 59th minute after a mix-up in the Djurgarden defense and Cole Palmer was credited with the assist. In the 65th minute, Moises Caicedo slipped a pass to Jackson, who rifled the ball past goalkeeper Jacob Rinne to register a 4-0 lead.
Alemayehu Mulugeta (68′) scored a consolation for Djurgarden, having directed his header into the net following a cross from Tobias Gulliksen. Thus, the final score was 4-1 in favor of Chelsea.
In 45 minutes on the pitch, Palmer registered a passing accuracy of 91% (29/32). The Englishman provided one key pass, failed to win a ground duel in five attempts, and lost possession of the ball 10 times (via Sofascore).
After the game, fans complained about Palmer’s performance via X, with one tweeting:
“Palmer’s downfall is crazy… what’s happened to him?! Estevao isn’t even here and he’s dropped confidence.”
“Will Palmer ever score again? His form is really concerning.,” another added.
“Palmer is unrecognizable. He’s not happy! He looks like Barkley playing,” a fan opined.
“What has happened to Cole Palmer man,” a worried fan said.
“I’m going to say it, does Cole Palmer deserve to be in the team on current form? He’s done nothing since Christmas to justify his place. He doesn’t affect the game at all,” another vented.
“What happened to Cole Palmer mannnn?? He is dreadful under Maresca.”
How did Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez perform against Djurgarden?
Enzo Fernandez was arguably the best player on the pitch against Djurgarden, providing two key assists in the first half.
Fernandez maintained 88% (38/43) passing accuracy in his stint on the pitch. He provided three key passes, created one big chance, and won one out of three ground duels contested (via Sofascore).
Chelsea will play the return leg at Stamford Bridge in London on Thursday, May 8. The Blues are the overwhelming favorites to reach the final, where they will face either Fiorentina or Real Betis.
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Edited by Arshit Garg
