Chelsea forward Cole Palmer’s 16-game goal drought is due to a mental issue rather than a tactical or technical one, manager Enzo Maresca has said.
The 22-year-old England international had a remarkable debut campaign last season at Chelsea, scoring 27 goals and registering 15 assists in 48 matches.
This time around, however, Palmer has found the back of the net just 14 times in all competitions so far.
Maresca believes it is only a matter of time before the player breaks his drought.
“For sure it’s a mental thing, it’s not tactical or technical,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League home game against 13th-placed Everton.
“Cole is still the player who scored 14 goals in 20 games. The style is the same, the manager is the same, the club is the same. Nothing has changed around Cole. It’s just mentally in this moment.
“You can see he’s a little bit worried because he wants to help the team. You can see he’s struggling a bit on that. But he showed how happy he was after Fulham. It’s just a matter (of whether) we can win games. For sure he’s going to score goals.
“If you go back game by game, he had at least every game one or two chances, so it’s not about how the team is playing.”
Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League table with 57 points from 33 matches, as they chase Champions League qualification for next season. They trail fifth-placed Newcastle United by two points. At least five Premier League teams are guaranteed a spot in the 2025-26 edition of the Champions League.
Palmer’s dip in form a ‘mental thing’, says Chelsea boss Maresca
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Palmer’s dip in form a ‘mental thing’, says Chelsea boss Maresca
- The 22-year-old England international had a remarkable debut campaign last season at Chelsea, scoring 27 goals and registering 15 assists in 48 matches
Barcelona blitz Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book place in Super Cup final
- Catalans turn uncertainty into complete control with breathtaking 16-minute spell that saw them race into a four-goal lead before the interval
- Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0
JEDDAH: It did not look like the easiest opening 20 minutes for Barcelona in Jeddah during their encounter with Athletic Bilbao. Yet in a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval.
More than 50,000 fans packed the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to witness the spectacle, although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal were rested, allowing opportunities for youngsters like Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez.
Lopez would emerge as one of the standout performers of the night. While his threat inside the box was evident, it was his creativity that truly shone in front of the Jeddawi crowd.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. A sweeping move from side to side ended with Raphinha finding Bardghji on the right, whose cutback was met by Lopez before being laid off for Ferran Torres to finish calmly for 1-0.
Just eight minutes later, an exquisite backheel from Pedri released Raphinha down the left flank once again, with his low cross this time finding Lopez to double Barcelona’s advantage.
Lopez contributed to his third goal of the night minutes later, this time slipping Bardghji down the right. The Kuwaiti-born winger skipped past Adama Boiro before striking at goal, with Unai Simon mishandling the ball as it trickled over the line.
The Blaugrana showed no signs of slowing down. Raphina finally got on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion with a belter into the top corner in the 38th minute.
To the surprise of many, neither side made any changes at the break. That decision quickly proved costly for Bilbao, as Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0.
With the contest beyond reach, Athletic head coach Ernesto Valverde rang the changes, making five substitutions to give minutes to his squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, eased off to conserve energy ahead of Sunday’s final. To the delight of the crowd, both Rashford and Yamal were introduced, with Yamal receiving a warm standing ovation upon his entrance in the 72nd minute.
The emphatic victory marks Barcelona’s second consecutive five-goal display in the Spanish Super Cup, following last year’s 5-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the final.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday, as Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid, with the winner set to meet Barcelona in Sunday’s final.
