Cole Palmer has given some insight into how he was able to help Chelsea beat Newcastle United on Sunday.
Chelsea defeated Newcastle 2-1, with Cole Palmer scoring his side’s winning goal at the beginning of the second half.
Nicolas Jackson initially gave the Blues the lead, but Palmer and Pedro Neto deserve most of the credit for his opener.
Palmer played a terrific ball to Neto before he set up Jackson, and it was no fluke. Jason Cundy couldn’t believe Palmer’s pass.
Cole Palmer’s connection to Pedro Neto
Knowing how fast Neto is, Palmer says his plan during the match was to play the ball in behind for him to run onto.
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website after the Newcastle game, Palmer said: “I just try to do what the manager says, depending what the game plan is. We knew they’d play a high line again, so that’s the reason I played the pass.
“Me and Pedro spoke before the game, and obviously I know how fast he is, and I thought every time I’m facing forward down the side I’ll be able to play that pass in behind. So when he got on his bike I just tried to play it into his path.”
Assisting Jackson for the opener, Neto was able to show his value after losing his spot in the team to Jadon Sancho.
Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto set to start against Manchester United
Chelsea’s next Premier League match is against Manchester United, who have just sacked Erik ten Hag.
With the form that Palmer is in, it is a game that the attacking midfielder is bound to start. You would also expect Neto to get the nod when Enzo Maresca‘s side travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Again, the Portuguese played well against Newcastle, while Sancho will also be unavailable, having joined Chelsea on loan from United.
Chelsea fans would have been looking forward to taking on Ten Hag. United have performed really poorly under him this season.
They are currently 14th in the Premier League table with 11 points, putting them six behind Chelsea.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 12 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 12 |
| 13 |  West HamWest Ham | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 11 |
| 14 |  Man UtdManchester United | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 11 |
| 15 |  LeicesterLeicester | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 9 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 9 |
Having sacked Ten Hag, though, Chelsea now face having to deal with a potential new manager bounce at Old Trafford.
However, possessing the likes of Palmer, Neto and Jackson, Chelsea have enough to beat this underperforming United side, regardless of who is in charge.
The Blues lost the same fixture last season and have a poor recent record at Old Trafford, but they now have the perfect opportunity to set things right.
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