Revitalised under Xabi Alonso and now back in the England squad
Chelsea’s only defeat came against the reigning Premier League champions Arsenal a few weeks ago. Things are looking positive again for the Blues after a dismal 2025/26 and much of that has to do with how well the Spaniard integrated his new summer signings into the squad.
A total of 11 players made the move to Stamford Bridge, ranging from experienced professionals such as Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, to future stars Dastan Satpayev and Geovany Quenda.
While several of his new players have hit the ground running, it has been the form of those already at the club which has been the most pleasing.
João Pedro has six goal contributions from five games, Roméo Lavia is back to full fitness and Cole Palmer appears to have returned to his imperious best.
After a poor season by his own high standards last year, Palmer looks reinvigorated under Alonso.
Cole Palmer moving on from an underwhelming campaign
Across his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge, Palmer looked like the player many believed he would turn out to be during his spell at Manchester City. He scored goals in abundance, could generate plenty of chances for his teammates, and had that magnificent ability to produce a moment of magic that could change a game in an instant.
Indeed, 40 goals and 24 assists across 91 matches throughout 2023/24 and 2024/25 certainly back up those assertions, while the attacking midfielder ranked in the top 5% among his peers in the Premier League for big chances created in both of those seasons.
He even carried that form into the Club World Cup, scoring three times in Chelsea’s victorious campaign, yet the months that followed were disrupted by injury and lack of form.
As a consequence, Palmer missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. Given how he has begun the current season, that decision might just have been a blessing in disguise for the 24-year-old.
Alonso has brought out the best in Palmer
Alonso might only be in the embryonic stages of his managerial career, but he knows how to bring the best out of certain players.
Even from his very first press conference, the former Real Madrid boss lavished praise on Palmer and his comments clearly have produced the desired effect.
“We have had a few training sessions already, and from the first day, you can see he’s a special talent,” said Alonso in July.
“He’s a special player. You can notice his quality, how he’s able to play and make the right decision in the right spot.
“I’m happy that he has come in a good mood and a good mindset to have a great season, and we are really looking forward to getting the best from him.
“If we can build a strong team with the proper stability to find our key players, then for sure, Cole is going to be one of those key players in the attacking third.”
After only a few weeks, Palmer is already beginning to click into Alonso’s system with ease and it has helped having players such as Morgan Rogers and João Pedro to link up with.
The Englishman has started five of Chelsea’s six matches so far this term, scoring four goals and registering two assists in the process.
He is already just eight goal contributions shy of the tally achieved last season (14) and it looks as though there is plenty more to come in the weeks ahead.
Palmer ranks third in the Premier League for big chances created (3) in 2026/27 along with ranking in the top 5% for possession won in the final third and total shots among his positional peers.
Last season, he operated across the front three, rarely restricted to one specific position.
Under Alonso, however, Palmer has been solely deployed in his best position, just behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 system, and this has allowed his creative juices to flow.
Given his skillset, this is certainly Palmer’s most productive role and one that he has thrived in recently.
And it’s already paid off, with Thomas Tuchel recalling Chelsea’s No. 10 to the England squad ahead of the Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia, and Croatia in the upcoming international break.
Since scoring against Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the midfielder has only featured five times for England, with three of those games under Tuchel.
The German stated that Palmer wasn’t “decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons” after announcing that the Chelsea player wouldn’t be part of his England squad for North America.
On the face of it, the decision was probably the right one, especially with Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers ahead of him in the pecking order.
Fast forward a few months and there’s no doubt a revitalised Palmer has earned his return to the national team setup. Now, the onus is for the midfielder to perform like he has done for his club side and make sure he gives Tuchel plenty of food for thought.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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