Manchester City man lauds Chelsea star Cole Palmer on social media after his performance in 2-2 draw against Arsenal
Manchester City wonderkid Rico Lewis has heaped praise on former teammate Cole Palmer after his impressive display in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Saturday (October 21).
Palmer netted a penalty in the enthralling draw at Stamford Bridge and was a nuisance for Gunners defenders the whole time. The England U21 international also had four shots, made one key pass, and won one of three ground duels.
The 21-year-old joined Chelsea from City in the summer for £40 million and he is quickly becoming a fan favorite. His former teammate Lewis sang his praises after his performance at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer took to Instagram after the game to express his disappointment in missing out on all three points. He wrote:
"Disappointed not to come away with 3 points against a very good side. Let’s keep pushing."
Lewis, 18, reacted in the comments with an emoji:
"Top."
The former City teammates still play alongside each other in England's U21s team. Palmer has been impressive for the Three Lions, bagging five goals and as many assists in 15 caps since debuting in September 2021.
There were some question marks over the price Chelsea paid to sign him from City in the summer. However, he's proving to be a vital player for Mauricio Pochettino, netting two goals and as many assists in seven games across competitions.
The Blues took a 2-0 lead against Arsenal on Saturday evening, courtesy of Palmer's 15th-minute penalty and Mykhailo Mudryk's 48th minute cross-shot.
However, calamity from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez allowed Declan Rice to hit back in the 77th minute. Leandro Trossard then equalized in the 84th minute.
Mauricio Pochettino defends Roberto Sanchez following his error in Chelsea's draw against Arsenal
Pochettino's men looked set to hand Arsenal their first league defeat of the season when they were 2-0 up heading into the last 20 minutes. That was until their Spanish goalkeeper made a costly mistake which allowed Rice to fire home a superb effort.
Sanchez played a tame pass out from the back that fell into Rice's path. The Gunners midfielder made no mistake in curling the ball into the back of the net.
Still, Pochettino only had positive words for Sanchez following the draw, insisting that mistakes do happen. He said (via The Evening Standard):
"We are so happy with him. Of course he is disappointed and upset with his decision but mistakes happen in football."
Mikel Arteta's side searched for an equalizer after Rice's goal, putting the hosts under the cosh. Pochettino alluded to this by suggesting his troops study situations better in the future:
"This goal gave the belief to Arsenal. We can maybe read better the situation, the tempo, the timing. We can take risks on 77 minutes because it’s our philosophy, but maybe there is another decision you can take."
Sanchez joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer for £25 million. He's kept 11 appearances across competitions, keeping four clean sheets. The Spain international won the Premier League's Save of the Month for September.