ENZO MARESCA PRAISES: COACH CONFIRMS CHELSEA IS "BETTER TEAM WITH COLE PALMER"
Cole Palmer scored in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton but insists he's still managing his injury and is "not at peak" form. Maresca calls him Chelsea's "best player."
Even after scoring in Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Everton, Cole Palmer isn't convinced he's back to his best. The 23-year-old's goal was his first in three months, helping the team move up to fourth place in the league. Although he seems to be over his injury problems, the England player isn't getting ahead of himself.
Chelsea back on track
Palmer, who has been dealing with injuries this season, played well against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and even showed flashes of the brilliance that fans have enjoyed for the last couple of years. But he's not letting the win go to his head.
Talking to BBC Match of the Day, he said, I wouldn't say I'm at my best just yet. I'm still dealing with an injury. I'm hoping it gets better, but I still have some work to do. It is improving because of the work I've been doing with the team's physios. It's just about taking it slow and not overdoing it. I'm just taking it one day at a time, hoping it gets better.”
England's manager, Thomas Tuchel, was in the stands watching Enzo Maresca's team, and Palmer is definitely on his radar for the 2026 World Cup. But Palmer is focusing on each match as it comes.
He said, To be honest, I haven't been looking too far ahead. I was injured for three months, so I just need to get back in shape. I know what I can do when I'm fully fit, so I hope I get there soon.
Maresca praises Palmer.
Maresca had said before that Palmer is Chelsea's best player. After the game, he didn't stray too far from that sentiment.
The game is never over. We had many chances; we missed some. But overall, I'm happy with the clean sheet and the effort, the coach said. We've said it before, we're a better team with Cole. It's unfortunate that he was out for a lot of games, but he's back now, and he'll definitely help us.
Maresca also praised Reece James and Malo Gusto, who scored and assisted against Everton.
He commented, They're good players, and good players can play anywhere. They can play as full-backs or midfielders. [Malo Gusto] took his chance, and he assisted Cole's goal, so I'm thrilled for Malo. Just because we can't win every game doesn't mean we're not ready to compete for titles. When you don't let the other team score, it's not just about one player; it's about the whole team.
After moving up the standings recently, Everton fans were hoping for a good result. But after a solid start, they struggled, especially after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got injured.
David Moyes told Sky Sports about the loss: I thought there were some good moments; we played pretty well today. We've played well away from home [this season], and we did well today. I know it's hard to say that after losing 2-0, but we did. Maybe we needed a bit of luck in the final third. They were clinical in the chances they got, and we weren't when we got close to their goal. That made the difference.
They did a lot of good things. We played well, but we didn't get the three points. You can say "well done" all you want, but we need to get those points.
What's next for Cole Palmer?
Chelsea has a busy schedule ahead, including a match against Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday and a Premier League game against Newcastle United next Saturday.
Will Palmer play in both games this week?
Maresca said, Right now, he can't.
He added that Palmer likely won't play against Cardiff.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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