“You’re not going to push your best players into unfamiliar positions” - Michael Owen warns Maresca about playing Chelsea superstar in wrong position
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has shared his thoughts on Cole Palmer's position in Chelsea's defeat against Manchester City on Sunday, August 18. The Blues lost 2-0 in their 2024-25 Premier League opener against the champions at Stamford Bridge.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Mateo Kovacic sealed the win in the 84th minute. The hosts also created multiple chances but were unable to capitalize on them. One of the big factors for it was the underwhelming performance of Cole Palmer.
The Chelsea Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, Palmer mostly stayed out wide on the right wing and couldn't impact the game much. Michael Owen believes Enzo Maresca should look to play the midfielder in the No. 10 role rather than pushing him out. He said on Premier League Productions (via Metro):
"Chelsea have bought so many players that can play in that position, haven’t they? You’ve got players who aren’t even in the squad who can play in that position too like Raheem Sterling. I’m sure the manager watched how good he [Palmer] was last season and the position he played in and everything else.
"And you would just think that when you’re picking a team, your best players play in their best positions and you fit around them. You’re not going to push your best players into unfamiliar positions."
Owen added that Maresca needs to build the team around Cole Palmer, saying:
"‘If I was the manager, he’d be first on the teamsheet in his favoured position and then I’d work around it but it seems like they’ve bought so many players that they’re trying to shuffle the pack.
"We heard the manager before the game say Cole Palmer can play in any of those positions around the front and I’m sure he can but I would prefer him to be at his best and getting more of the ball in a more central area."
Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City last summer and contributed 27 goals and 15 assists in 48 games across competitions.
A look at Cole Palmer's performance in Chelsea's defeat against Manchester City
Under Mauricio Pochettino, Cole Palmer played more centrally and got involved in the game more. However, in the first game under Enzo Maresca, he stayed out on the right wing.
Palmer played the entire 90 minutes against Manchester City. He completed 34/40 passes, made two key passes, and had two shots. He completed 1/3 dribble attempts, won 4/10 duels, lost possession 18 times, and also made one clearance. He also delivered 3/5 accurate crosses and 1/3 accurate long balls.
Overall, it was a tough game for Chelsea despite having 48% possession and 88% passing accuracy. They had 10 shots with three on target while Manchester City had 11 attempts, with five being on target.
The Blues will next face Servette at home in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs on Thursday, August 22. City, meanwhile, will host Ipswich Town next in the Premier League on Saturday.