Cole Palmer has revealed the two Chelsea players who blew him away in pre-season and insists the Blues “should be winning trophies” this term.
Chelsea’s £250m attacking line was on show against Crystal Palace but failed to make the breakthrough in a frustrating 0-0 draw.
Joao Pedro started up front following his £55m move from Brighton, with Jamie Gittens and Pedro Neto either side, while Palmer himself operated as a number 10.
Despite all the new firepower, Palace created the better openings and came closest to scoring before the interval.
But Cole Palmer is not worried by the slow start. The England international believes Chelsea are moving in the right direction under Enzo Maresca and that expectations have only grown following their Club World Cup triumph earlier this summer.
Asked by NBC Sports whether the team are now under more pressure, he said: “Yeah, definitely because the way the club’s going, the direction, everyone’s excited. We should be winning trophies.”
Palmer pointed to the summer arrivals as evidence that Chelsea can build on their progress, with two in particular already standing out to him in training and matches.
The first is Joao Pedro, whose impact has impressed since his £55m switch from Brighton. “He’s so good man,” Palmer said.
“I love playing with him. Even in training we just have good chemistry and know where each other are going to be. It was amazing to see him come in. We knew he was a good player before but to see it in person was really good.”
Pedro’s goals in the Club World Cup showed why Chelsea invested heavily, and Palmer’s comments underline the belief that he will be central to Maresca’s attack once the Premier League campaign gathers momentum.
The second player to earn praise was Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich for £30m. Palmer said: “I just think he’s something different. He’s different to Joao and other strikers I’ve played with.
“He’s more old-school, he’s aggressive, he’ll run in behind, he’s just a handful for defenders and he’s one of the best finishes I’ve seen as well. Hopefully those two together score some goals between them.”
Delap caught the eye in a relegated Ipswich side last season and brings a more direct style to Chelsea’s frontline, complementing Pedro’s versatility and flair. Palmer believes the pair can give the Blues the finishing touch that was missing against Palace.
Chelsea face back-to-back London derbies against West Ham and Fulham before the end of August, offering Pedro and Delap an early chance to prove Palmer right.