Evening Standard
·11. Dezember 2024
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Yahoo sportsEvening Standard
·11. Dezember 2024
Palmer’s audacious spot-kick did not come as a surprise to his team-mate
Axel Disasi claims he predicted Cole Palmer’s sensational ‘Panenka’ penalty in Chelsea’s triumph over Tottenham.
Palmer scored two penalties in a dramatic contest, which saw the Blues come from 2-0 down to beat their London rivals 4-3.
The second of those, which extended Palmer’s perfect Premier League penalty record to 12 out of 12, was an audacious dink up the middle that left Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster stunned.
Disasi, who was among the Chelsea substitutes at the time, insists, however, that he saw the effort coming.
“To be honest, I knew he would do this Panenka,” the defender said. “I was on the bench with Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] and I told him he would do this.
“I remember the year before he did the same. I can’t remember which game.
“For a year-and-a-half, you all know the quality of Cole. At this moment, he’s a very chilled guy and for the fans it’s a good feeling to see a player perform like this with a lot of quality and skills.
“We’re all happy with his performances and we hope he’ll continue here.”
Disasi is set to be one of the senior players in what could be a youthful Chelsea lineup against Astana in the Conference League on Thursday night.
The Blues face an eight-hour flight to Kazakhstan and temperatures below minus-ten degrees.
"They have to be themselves, the youngsters,” Disasi said.
“They have to enjoy the moment and don't feel the pressure. We'll be there to help if they ask for advice. I know it's not maybe the best games to start, with the flying and temperature, but we have the quality."