“I felt like it closes the game for him” - Chelsea legend Frank Lampard pinpoints what forced Cole Palmer to have ‘quiet’ game against Arsenal
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has shared his opinion on Cole Palmer’s performance in the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, November 10. He suggested that the 22-year-old had a quiet game against the Gunners because he played more from the left than the right or central.
Enzo Maresca’s side were forced to share the spoils for the second week running in the league. After playing out a 1-1 draw with Manchester United (November 3) and trashing Noah 8-0 in the Conference League, Chelsea came into the London derby full of confidence.
Considering Arsenal’s poor run of form coming into the clash, Maresca’s side were expected to deliver a good outing against their London rivals. However, they went a goal down after Gabriel Martinelli broke the deadlock at the hour mark at Stamford Bridge.
The home side, however, responded 10 minutes later, with Pedro Neto netting the equalizer to register his first league goal for Chelsea. Cole Palmer’s involvement in the clash was uncertain after he suffered a knock against Manchester United. The Englishman returned to the starting XI against Arsenal but failed to make a major impact in the game.
While analyzing his former side’s performance after the clash, Frank Lampard pinpointed what caused Palmer to have a quiet game. He claimed that the player’s positioning on the field contributed to his performance. Lampard said (via Metro):
“Cole Palmer was more quiet. He found himself more on the left side of the pitch and I felt like it closes the game for him a bit on that side rather than coming in off the right or being more central.”
“These are little things they can tweak and improve as they go but they competed against a good Arsenal team,” the Blues legend added.
Cole Plamer has not scored in his last two league outings. However, he is the club's leading scorer this term with seven goals and five assists in 13 matches across competitions.
The draw sees Maresca's side claim third position in the league table. They have the same number of points as Arsenal (19) but a superior goal difference (8).
Frank Lampard, meanwhile, is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals and 148 assists in 648 games. Playing for the Blues, he faced Arsenal 33 times in the Premeir League and recorded three goals and four assists against them. As the club's manager, he recorded one win, one draw, and four losses against the Gunners.
How did Chelsea fare against Arsenal on the weekend?
Chelsea performed well against Arsenal on Sunday as they continued their fine form under Enzo Maresca. The Blues had a 49% of the ball, completed 358 accurate passes, and created one big chance. They took 17 shots in the game and had 13 touches in the opponent’s penalty area.
Arsenal, meanwhile, edged the possession (51%), completed 375 accurate passes, and created four big chances. Mikel Arteta’s side had 13 shots with three being on target, and recorded 19 touches in the opposition’s penalty area.
Chelsea will next face Leicester City in the league on November 23 after the international break, while Arsenal will play Nottingham Forest on the same day.