"People need to understand the effort he made to be here" - Enzo Maresca makes Cole Palmer claim after Chelsea's win over Leicester
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has jumped to the defence of out-of-sorts star Cole Palmer after his side's 1-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League. The England international continued his goal drought against the Foxes, missing from the penalty spot in the first half.
Cole Palmer has been a shining light for Chelsea since his arrival at the club from Manchester City in a £42.5 million move in the summer of 2023. Things have not gone the way of the 22-year-old in recent months, and Maresca defended him during his post-match press duties.
Maresca pointed out that the forward was unwell on the eve of the game but wanted to do all he could to participate. The Italian hailed Palmer as a quality player for his desire and the effort he put in to feature in the game.
“Palmer didn’t feel well during the night, people need to understand the effort he made to be here, he’s a top player,” he said.
Chelsea were without captain Reece James due to illness, and Palmer appeared to have caught the same bug ahead of the game. The former Manchester City man managed to play for 73 minutes at Stamford Bridge against the Foxes before he was replaced by youngster Tyrique George.
Palmer missed an opportunity to open the scoring for the Blues in the first half, missing a penalty for the club for the first time. The forward failed to add to his 14 goals for the Blues this season, stretching his scoreless run to eight games.
Chelsea edge out Leicester City, return to top four
Chelsea claimed a 1-0 win over Leicester City to pick up a third successive win and make a return to the league's top four. The Blues overcame the Foxes for a second time this season, moving to within two points of Nottingham Forest in third.
Chelsea had a chance to take the lead midway through the first half when Jadon Sancho was felled in the penalty box. Cole Palmer stepped up and failed to find the net for the first time in 13 attempts since joining the club. Leicester City came closest to a leveller minutes later, when defender Tosin Adarabioyo headed the ball against his own crossbar from a cross.
Enzo Maresca's side had to wait until the 60th minute to break the deadlock when Marc Cucurella fired an effort into the bottom corner from outside the box. The Blues held on to claim the win, picking up a second successive league clean sheet.