Unique Cole Palmer gives the world another reason to keep watching

Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool: It’s impossible to look away from the 22-year-old star, who ends his goal drought by helping the Blues to victory

Palmer stars as Chelsea defeat the Premier League champions (Action Images via Reuters)

Having been forced to watch the new champions walk on, Cole Palmer then made everyone look at his own footwork. The playmaker’s performance in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Liverpool was a timely reminder of his quality, and that was long before he scored his first goal in almost four months to clinch it.

“I felt like myself,” as he put it afterwards. “I felt confident.” Palmer has now also ensured Chelsea felt the satisfaction of a victory that was genuinely important, both for himself and the club. It greatly improves his club’s prospects of Champions League football with three games to go, two of them away to rivals for the places in Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

Palmer knows that is the sort of stage he should be on. Chelsea know they have to keep getting there to ward off any potential agitation, or suitors.

It was why there was extra edge to the home side’s guard of honour for Liverpool. The Chelsea supporters of course booed it, and many fans would say there is an argument that this kind of obligation should be done away with in a tribal sport like football.

Virgil van Dijk leads champions Liverpool onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge (Reuters)

It was hard not to wonder what a player like Palmer feels in such a moment. Surely, that it should be him being feted as a champion?

Palmer duly dominated an occasion that had a lot of pageantry around it, in turn reminding everyone there was a football match with proper stakes here, and what a footballer he is.

There was also something else.

For most of Palmer’s Chelsea career so far, he has stood out because of an almost old-fashioned playmaking style. There can be a languidness about his play, as he makes the time and space to make things happen. A through ball no one else can see here, a gorgeous curled strike there.

Against Liverpool, however, what caught the eye was the change of pace.

Palmer has an almost deceptive speed of acceleration. He can be rolling the ball under his foot in front of you one second, only to be surging past you the next.

That was the case for all of his best moments in this game, with two of them directly producing the key goals. They fittingly came on opposite flanks, since he is a player that looks best when he is able to roam.

The pace was set almost immediately. After just two minutes, Palmer picked the ball up in the Liverpool half to drive through. He then fed Pedro Neto who seemed set to return the pass, only for Palmer's run to leave Enzo Fernandez free. The Argentine finished a fine team goal.

Palmer’s movement and vision in midfield is key to Chelsea’s win (Reuters)

Palmer had made them move.

In the 56th minute, he cut his way into the Liverpool left and embarrassed Kostas Tsimikas. Palmer's drilled ball across goal eventually ricocheted in off Jarell Quansah to make it 2-0.

The best was arguably a near-miss. On 80 minutes, Palmer this time did similar to Conor Bradley on the other side, before slipping the ball inside Alisson to hit the post. It was superb.

It was a player enjoying himself, and still with a flourish to come. If Palmer has felt any pressure about not scoring since 14 January, he of course didn’t show it as he stepped up for a stoppage-time penalty. That was driven into the bottom corner.

Palmer afterwards admitted he “felt normal taking the penalty” but that clearly wasn’t quite the case over the last few months. If social media noise didn’t quite get to him, he felt he had to have a little pop back.

“Sh** happens,” he said. “I went three months without scoring but it gives me more motivation, more fight to do well. Social media nowadays, it’s full of idiots, trolls, I don’t pay no attention to that.”

Palmer is close to a sensational goal as he looks to beat Alisson at his near post (Action Images via Reuters)

While there’s an argument this was needless, what was more important was the responsibility that Palmer evidently felt to his team over those barren months. He admitted that was “tough”.

“Getting chances and not scoring... you're letting your team down at the end of the day.”

Against the champions, he lifted them up, when they most needed it

This wasn’t all down to Palmer, of course. He made special mention of Moises Caicedo running alongside him from right-back, describing it as “a dream”.

Chelsea were much more intense and impressive throughout this game, and that was another example of the difference that Romeo Lavia makes to them. Like Palmer, he ensures Enzo Maresca’s team look much less flat.

“You can see we are a better team with Romeo,” Maresca said, before lamenting how often he has been injured.

Caicedo is also key to Chelsea’s win as they move level with Newcastle (Getty Images)

This is a club that needs to feel like it’s going somewhere. Many rivals would of course want Palmer. Manchester United, his boyhood club, are one of the most interested. The 22-year-old has signed a contract until 2033, which means he wouldn't exactly have leverage if he did decide he could do with a change any time soon. At the same time, in a world of Proft and Sustainability Rules churn, it’s important to ensure your stars are fully content.

Palmer is evidently that bit happier after a performance like that.

There was an even greater resonance given it was against the champions, even if it was not the champions at full pelt. Liverpool's only response was a Virgil van Dijk header, as Arne Slot made considerable changes to his team. The Dutch manager did make mention of how he feels Chelsea are one of the best sides in the league, capable of supreme levels.

They certainly are when Palmer is playing like this. After the game, he looked up at his own highlights on the Stamford Bridge screen. He was just one more person who couldn't help but watch.