Palmer sparkles to boost Pochettino and leave Guardiola with regrets
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has emerged as one of the Premier League's brightest young stars to ease the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino and leave Pep Guardiola ruing what might have been.
Palmer is enjoying a breakthrough season after his surprise move from Manchester City on transfer deadline day last September.
The 21-year-old's latest highlight came on Monday when he played the decisive role in Chelsea's much-needed 3-2 win against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer teed up Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea's first half opener when his shot was flicked in by the Senegal striker.
After Newcastle's Alexander Isak equalised, it was Palmer who stepped up to restore the lead with a superb finish for his 13th goal in all competitions for Chelsea.
Given license to roam from his nominal starting position on the right of Chelsea's front three, Palmer has scored and assisted in five different league games, a feat unmatched by anyone else in the Premier League in the current campaign.
He has been directly involved in 19 goals this season and is Chelsea's top scorer.
Palmer's emergence as their most influential player has been one of the only bright spots in a gloomy season for beleaguered Blues boss Pochettino.
The Argentine has struggled to create a cohesive unit from a disparate collection of players thrown together over the last two years in Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly's £1 billion ($1.2 billion) spending spree.
Even after beating Newcastle, they are still languishing in 11th place with only faint hopes of qualifying for a European competition.
The recent 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in the League Cup final heaped further pressure on Pochettino, who has endured calls for his sacking from frustrated Chelsea fans.
'IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET
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