Jamie Carragher Identifies Chelsea’s Unsung Hero as Transfer Policy Finally Bears Fruit
Chelsea returned to winning ways on Monday night by defeating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage, but new manager Mauricio Pochettino remains under pressure.
Jamie Carragher lauded Cole Palmer’s contribution to Chelsea’s victory over Fulham, validating his transfer from Manchester City in the summer.
Mykhaylo Mudryk and Armando Broja scored for the visitors as they defeated their west London rivals 2-0 at Craven Cottage on Monday evening. After a difficult start to the season under Mauricio Pochettino, this is their second Premier League victory.
Since Todd Boehly’s consortium completed its takeover of the club in May 2022, the Blues have spent more than £1 billion on new players. Last season, Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League despite having made these investments.
The way Mudryk hugged Colwill after his goal>>>> pic.twitter.com/tKQUib6UW5
— Kranky🇵🇱🇳🇴 (@CFCKranky) October 2, 2023
Yet club chiefs hope results will eventually pick up thanks to their young squad. Palmer, a 21-year-old winger who was enticed away from the Etihad in a £45 million deal on transfer deadline day, is one such player who has excelled since joining Chelsea.
Although Palmer has yet to score for the Blues, he contributed significantly to Broja’s goal. Palmer’s pressure on Fulham’s Tim Ream prevented him from playing a simple pass to left-back Antonee Robinson, forcing him to play through the middle.
Palmer then intercepted Ream’s pass and played a perfectly-timed pass into the path of Broja, who scored his first goal since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in December of last year. Carragher acknowledged the value of Palmer’s work.
“The big part for me is Cole Palmer’s role in this,” the Liverpool legend told Sky Sports on Monday Night Football. “I think this is fantastic because yes, we have seen Mudryk and the position he takes up and the run he takes, but this is a different kind of run.”
Carragher believes Pochettino will be delighted with Palmer. He added: “Palmer is only new to the team, but the way he closes down and shapes his body to force Tim Ream to make a pass is absolutely brilliant. His manager will be pleased with Palmer defensively.”
Mudryk scored his first Premier League goal, which Carragher commended. The Ukrainian made a brilliant run through the middle before finishing a deep left-footed pass from Levi Colwill. Carragher stated, “That is what world-class players must do in those positions”
“You can be great on the flanks, but you must be great in the middle. In many teams, it is no longer the center-forward’s responsibility to score goals; it is the wide players’ job to do so.
Carragher’s fellow pundit Frank Lampard, who coached Mudryk last season, added: “I think confidence is such a huge thing at this level. When I mentioned about how hard he works on the training ground, that moment and the goal makes it more worthwhile.”
Jamie Carragher Identifies Chelsea’s Unsung Hero as Transfer Policy Finally Bears Fruit
