Mauricio Pochettino jokingly suggested that Cole Palmer should be called Lionel Messi and came to the defense of the Chelsea player after he missed some significant opportunities against Aston Villa.
In the FA Cup fourth-round match on Friday night, Chelsea faced a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, leading to a replay in early February. Despite a strong performance, Chelsea missed several notable chances, particularly by Palmer and Noni Madueke.
Nevertheless, Manager Pochettino supported Palmer by playfully comparing him to Messi and also shared insights into the former Manchester City player’s optimal position.
When asked about Palmer’s failure to score against Villa, the Argentine said, “No, I think he cannot score in every single game. If he did, we should maybe not call him Cole Palmer; we should call him maybe Leo [Messi]. No, it is not about his position, and his potential is massive. It’s just that sometimes you score or not. Sometimes you have better nights but he is doing well.
“He is a player who can play in different positions and you can see and feel that we never talk about his performances because he is always doing really good. It’s just that sometimes he scores or doesn’t score, but he always finds amazing chances in the game.”
Setting aside the Messi comparisons, Palmer has emerged as arguably Chelsea’s standout player this season following his £42.5 million ($54 million) transfer from City last summer.
The 21-year-old has impressively contributed 11 goals and seven assists this term.
Despite Chelsea’s scrutiny over their high-profile transfers, the English international has been a bright spot at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea is optimistic that Palmer maintains his scoring form as they face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday, followed by a home match against Wolves four days later.
The replay against Villa is likely to precede their away fixture against Crystal Palace on February 12.