Chelsea were unable to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Leeds United on Wednesday after drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth.
With Cole Palmer returning to the starting XI for the first time since coming back from injury, Chelsea fans would have been hopeful of a victory.
In the end, though, Enzo Maresca’s side had to settle for a draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Who has disappointed you most from Chelsea’s scoreless draw with Bournemouth? 😶
Palmer might get a pass after two months out of the lineup.
Palmer did not have his best game, which is understandable given how long he was out for, and he failed to influence the match.
- READ MORE: Chelsea player ratings vs Bournemouth as Cole Palmer presents Enzo Maresca with a new issue
Paul Merson thought Cole Palmer didn’t see enough of the ball in Chelsea’s draw with Bournemouth
According to Arsenal legend Paul Merson, who is a Chelsea supporter, Palmer barely got on the ball in the Premier League fixture.
Commentating on the game for Sky Sports, during the first half, he said: “Palmer’s not getting a lot of the ball.”
It had been claimed that Palmer was initially meant to start in the Leeds loss, but he was named on the bench at Elland Road before coming on in the second half.
However, he could not impact that game as Chelsea fell to a 3-1 defeat, and it was a very similar story against Bournemouth.
The Blues’ next Premier League fixture sees them take on Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer had enough touches
Palmer actually had around 35 touches of the ball in the first half of Chelsea’s draw with Bournemouth and finished the match with 49 in total.
Simply put, it was not his quietest game. The attacking midfielder saw the ball, but his quality on it was not what it normally is. Again, that is to be expected given that he is lacking match sharpness right now after being sidelined.
Did Cole Palmer look a bit rusty?
| Cole Palmer’s stats vs Bournemouth | Total |
| Minutes | 58 |
| xG | 0.08 |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 26/38 (68%) |
| Crosses (accurate) | 1 (0) |
| Total shots | 1 |
| Touches | 49 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 3 (2) |
All things considered, then, Merson’s assessment of Palmer is not completely accurate looking at some of the Englishman’s stats.
Whatever the case, Palmer can play better, and once his match sharpness returns, everyone should see that. With a big game against Atalanta in the Champions League next, hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.
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