The Chelsea duel machine you won’t expect – dominated on the ground, completes 5 long balls and 5 key passes | OneFootball

Cole Palmer got huge praise for his performance yesterday, from the media, from the fans, from his teammates, and it was well deserved. The attacking midfielder was back to his best, playing a vital role in both of Chelsea’s goals from open play, then getting a late penalty to add a goal to his tally.

But his impact all over the pitch was notable. A glance at his stats revealed how well he competed for the ball against a second string Liverpool midfield.  Palmer, along with Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez, pounced on a hesitant Reds core.

Palmer tears into weakened Liverpool midfield

Only Caicedo (8) won more duels than Palmer (7) in the whole game, according to SofaScore. Nobody won more ground duels than Palmer. He had a real passion and fire in his belly to play, and didn’t let his recent struggles weigh him down. It brought a real taste of hope that we might win these final 3 games to sneak into the top 5 at long last.

Certainly if his goal unlocks a free-scoring stretch, we might just do it.

Palmer’s attacking numbers the sign of a player in form

Cole Palmer interviewed by Sky Sports.

“Today I felt like myself, like I was before recent times. I felt confident, I was trying things, first time passes, playing forward, playing free,” Palmer said in his interview after the game with Sky Sports. That was very evident in his numbers on the ball too. He played 5 successful long balls from 7 attempted. No other outfielder had more than 2 successful. He also played the most key passes on the pitch, with 5.

It was a powerhouse midfield showing at just the right time. It looked like a weight was off his shoulders after that last goal, and with Nico Jackson scoring again, anything is now possible.