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The battle of fourth and fifth at the Etihad on Saturday could prove a crucial chapter in deciding which side seals Champions League football for next season. It is, for Chelsea and Manchester City, a very important match indeed.
But it’s also a ‘here’s what you could have won’ moment for Pep Guardiola and City – Cole Palmer’s return to his old club a subplot that’s impossible to ignore.
The contrasting fortunes of the two sides’ attacking midfielders is undoubtedly a contributing factor to their divergent seasons. Chelsea are enjoying a relatively happy first campaign under Enzo Maresca, certainly compared to the previous two; City are champions four seasons on the trot, but that term can so often be found playing like they had collectively seen a ghost.
With Phil Foden only starting to show signs of life this season in complementing Erling Haaland’s offering, Chelsea fans are being treated to another season of scintillating creativity from their own playmaker, Palmer. ThatCity is what you could won.
After 25 goals and 15 assists in his first season at Chelsea, the 22-year-old has managed 20-22 league appearances for the Blues this term. Foden’s presence was the main obstacle between Palmer and the amounts of playing time he aspired to at City. Already, Palmer has usurped Foden as one of the Premier League’s truly great talents.
As he returns to face the club that so bizarrely sanctioned his sale in September 2023 for just £40 million plus £2.5 million in add-ons, it’s not to be said that he could have the make-or-break speech in the way Saturday’s meeting goes above and beyond.
“I don’t think so,” Maresca said on Friday after a pause and reflection, when asked if City might regret ever selling Palmer to Chelsea.
But of course they regret it. And Maresca’s suggestion that “no one in town thought Cole wasn’t good enough” can’t be true either. Guardiola and City misjudged the height of Palmer’s ceiling. Their loss was Chelsea’s big gain.
Palmer was a doubt for Monday night’s 3-1 win over Wolves after picking up a knock against Bournemouth. While Chelsea’s other three doubts missed the match, Palmer’s name, predictably, was there on the team sheet. What followed was described by his manager as “one of his best halves [displays] Since I got here, because he showed personality. »
Already, Palmer has usurped Foden as one of the Premier League’s greatest talents
Maresca had noted that: “He asked for the ball at all times, at times when the team needed it. In Liverpool, when they [difficult] moments, [Mohamed] Salah asks for the ball. At Arsenal, Martin Odegaard calls for the ball.
“On our team, I think the one who can do it is Cole. He starts doing that.
“That’s why one of the best moments for him was the second half against Wolves. He didn’t score or get any assists, but that’s because in that moment he showed his teammates that he was a leader on the pitch. You don’t have to be vocal to be a leader. »
But a leader transforms himself anyway – a leader by example. How could City do with another one of them right now.
