Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has attributed Cole Palmer’s ongoing goal drought to mental struggles rather than tactical or technical issues.
The 22-year-old England international had an outstanding debut season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 27 goals and providing 15 assists across 48 appearances. However, Palmer has only managed 14 goals in all competitions this season.
Maresca, speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday, expressed confidence that Palmer would soon rediscover his scoring touch.
“For sure it’s a mental thing, it’s not tactical or technical,” Maresca told reporters. “Cole is still the player who scored 14 goals in 20 games. The style is the same, the manager is the same, the club is the same. Nothing has changed around Cole. It’s just mentally in this moment.”
Maresca noted that Palmer’s desire to help the team might be weighing on him.l “You can see he’s a little bit worried because he wants to help the team. You can see he’s struggling a bit on that. But he showed how happy he was after Fulham,” the Italian coach said.
He remains optimistic that goals will soon follow for the forward. “It’s just a matter (of whether) we can win games. For sure he’s going to score goals. If you go back game by game, he had at least every game one or two chances, so it’s not about how the team is playing.”
Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League standings with 57 points from 33 matches, trailing fifth-placed Newcastle United by two points. With at least five English clubs set to qualify for the 2025–26 Champions League, the Blues are firmly in the race for a spot.
