Thirty-one seconds
Cole Palmer wasted no time. It took him just 31 seconds on the opening day of the Premier League to match his assist total from all of last season. One touch inside the Fulham box, laid off to Joao Pedro. Message sent.
Chelsea’s attacking midfielder then finished the move at the other end. Picked out by the same Joao Pedro, he slid the ball through Bernd Leno’s legs to score the Blues’ third and decisive goal.
In between, there were more flashes of the same. Tight touches, sharp passes, that technical toolkit that had almost vanished last season.
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A season to forget
The contrast with 2025-26 was stark. Palmer spent the campaign chasing form and fitness. A groin injury held him back for months. His league assist tally stayed stuck at one all season. Thomas Tuchel did not include him in England’s squad for the World Cup.
His first two seasons at Chelsea told a very different story. Across 2023-24 and 2024-25, the Englishman scored 37 goals and laid on 19 assists. That is 56 goal contributions in two years. Over that spell, only Mohamed Salah (75) and Erling Haaland (57) did better in the Premier League.
That is the standard he will be judged against. Not last year’s watered-down version.
The restart by the numbers
Against Fulham, Palmer was everywhere. Five shots, the most of any Chelsea player. Nine touches in the opposition box, again the best return on the Blues’ side. The No 10 did the dirty work too: 10 duels won, the highest total in the match, and seven recoveries, also top for Chelsea.
A full summer off, a full pre-season, and no sign of the groin issue. Chelsea have their most creative player back just as the club starts thinking bigger in the transfer market. Whether the groin holds up for 38 games is another matter entirely.
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