Chelsea’s misfiring stars need to follow the lead of ‘talisman’ Cole Palmer and stand up and be counted.
That’s according to former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who has seen his old club fall out of the Premier League title race after a five-game winless streak. Palmer, 22, took his goal tally for the season to 14 in the midweek draw with Bournemouth.
Palmer is an injury doubt as Enzo Maresca’s men look to get their top-four bid back on track when they take on Wolves Monday night. Premier League winner Petit, who spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge, says Chelsea players need to give Palmer a hand and shoulder some of the burden.
He said: “Top clubs always have one or two players that they count on more than the rest. You need very good players, and on top of that you need special players that can change a situation, that can make a big impact, that can take the decision on the pitch. Cole Palmer is one of them.
“He should be an example for the rest of his teammates in the dressing room. They have to follow his lead. They have to follow the way he takes responsibility in games.
“Some players have improved a lot since last season, Moises Caicedo for example. This has to be the reflection of what Cole Palmer is doing on the pitch. This is why he is so important for the club, because he’s the talisman of this team. He’s young as well, he’s got huge ambition, personal ambition, that is something that a manager needs in a dressing room.”
Stuttering Chelsea have endured a nightmare run of Premier League results, taking just three points from a possible 15, and face a resurgent Wolves side at the Bridge.
But Petit believes the Blues will arrest their slide down the table and secure a Champions League spot at the end of the season.
Petit added: “There are many reasons why Chelsea struggled over the last month, they dropped a lot of points. That can be explained by a lack of energy and a lack of consistency of some players, but they are a young team competing at the highest level.
“I’m very happy with what Maresca and Chelsea are doing. I’m confident they will finish in the top four.”
Emmanuel Petit was speaking on behalf of Casino Utan Spelpaus.
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