"He loved to mess about" - Chelsea star Cole Palmer makes claim about Arsenal player ahead of the London derby
Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer has said that current Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko made him laugh when they were together at Manchester City.
Palmer had been with the Cityzens since 2009 before leaving them to join Chelsea this summer for €47 million after struggling for playing time under Pep Guardiola. Zinchenko, meanwhile, joined Manchester City in 2016 from Ufa for €2.25 million.
Despite being on the club's books together for six years, the duo played alongside each other just four times for City's senior team. Zinchenko ultimately left Manchester City for Arsenal last year for a fee of €35 million — a year before Palmer's exit.
The two players are now enjoying a much more prominent role at their respective clubs. They will go head-to-head on 21 October when Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of the game, Palmer stated that he had fun with Zinchenko during their time together in Manchester. He told Sky Sports (h/t HITC):
"Zinchenko was quite funny as well. He loved to mess about. The comments that he made and stuff used to make me laugh."
Palmer (21) has scored once and provided two assists in six games for his new club. Zinchenko, meanwhile, continues to be Arsenal's first-choice left-back after Jurrien Timber's injury in the opening game of the season. The 26-year-old has made 10 appearances across competitions this season.
Arsenal already have a big lead over Chelsea this season
A nine-point lead after just eight league matches is considerable, especially when the clubs in question are Arsenal and Chelsea.
The Gunners are second in the table with 20 points, trailing leaders Tottenham Hotspur on goals scored. Chelsea, meanwhile, are languishing in 11th with 11 points from their opening eight games.
The Blues have won the Premier League five times since Arsenal last won it in 2003-04. The west London giants have also lifted the UEFA Champions League twice during that time — something the north Londoners have never done in their history.
However, the tide seems to be changing in recent seasons. Arsenal finished 10 places and 40 points above Chelsea last term, as the former lost the league title to Manchester City by five points.
The story could be the same this season if Mauricio Pochettino's men don't find consistency. Currently, they are on their best run since March, winning three consecutive games across competitions.