Paul Merson comes up with three reasons why Chelsea star Cole Palmer is no longer playing at his best

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The wait goes on for Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to break a goal drought that has come out of nowhere.

Cole Palmer, 22, has been a sensational player for Chelsea since he joined the club from Manchester City in 2023. In particular, the attacking midfielder has delivered such consistent output to stand out as one of the Premier League’s very best players.

However, the left-footed playmaker is going through his biggest dip so far at Stamford Bridge.

In his first 68 Chelsea appearances, Palmer scored 39 goals and created 26 assists. In contrast, he’s got zero goals and three assists in his previous 16 Blues matches across all competitions.

It’s worth claiming that he still looks like an offensive threat and the team is still heavily relying on him to produce his magic in the final third.

Gary Cahill isn’t worried about Cole Palmer because he’s spotted him still doing all the right things on the pitch, so it may only be a matter of time before he’s back to his best.

• READ MORE: Ally McCoist makes big claim on Cole Palmer’s future at Chelsea, ‘if you’re asking me…’

Paul Merson names three reasons behind Cole Palmer’s dip in form

Paul Merson is shocked to see the drop off from Palmer in recent months regarding his goal output. He’s actually come up with three possible reasons behind it.

Merson told Sportskeeda: “Cole Palmer has now gone almost 16 games without a goal. We say this every week now, he must find a way to get back to his best.

“What has gone wrong for him? There are three things I can think of. First, he got injured and I suspect if he was rushed back in too early. Second, as obvious as it sounds, teams are now finding a way to block him. And lastly, the system. When Palmer was at his best, he was free to do anything he wants on the pitch but we don’t see that now.

“It could be any of these reasons. It’s a shock to me that he has gone so long without a goal. Top players always find a way though and he must do it now.”

Back in March, Joe Cole claimed Cole Palmer needed senior players around him to help guide him through his dry patch. The reality is that there are very few experienced figures in the dressing room, and many are likely to look towards him as an example.

It’s easy to forget that the 22-year-old is still so young because of how the last two years have gone for him.

Chelsea fans certainly aren’t turning on Palmer because he’s been their standout figure in the last two seasons, but they really need him to rediscover his form now to boost the club’s search for Champions League qualification.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	33	24	7	2	75	31	44	79
2	ArsenalArsenal	34	18	13	3	63	29	34	67
3	Man CityManchester City	34	18	7	9	66	43	23	61
4	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	33	18	6	9	53	39	14	60
5	NewcastleNewcastle	33	18	5	10	62	44	18	59
6	ChelseaChelsea	33	16	9	8	58	40	18	57
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	34	16	9	9	54	49	5	57

Cole Palmer’s luck will turn

Once Palmer breaks this unwanted goal streak, we’re certain he’ll start to find the back of the net again on a regular basis. He just needs one slice of luck to lift his whole confidence.

The good thing is that the Chelsea star is one of the best in the Premier League for attempting shots.

We’ve noticed Palmer be a bit hesitant in some recent games when it comes to his finishing; perhaps he’s overthinking it. He’s at his very best when he’s ice-cool and goes off instinct, though.

It’s definitely unfair to put so much pressure on him to be the star performer, but they need him more now than ever for this final stretch of the season.