Better than Foden, Saka & Vinicius Jr? Palmer’s goals continue to outperform Europe’s best

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9 goals in 16 games 

©TM/IMAGO

Chelsea’s remarkable goalscoring run in this season’s Premier League continued with very little resistance on Wednesday night, when the Stamford Bridge side comfortably beat Southampton 5-1. In a match that saw Enzo Maresca’s side move into second place in the league table, Chelsea increased their goal haul for the season to a remarkable 57 goals in just 22 games. Not only is that more than the club achieved in the entirety of the 2022/23 season, but it also works out at 2.6 goals per game. Which happens to be Chelsea’s highest goal scoring average ever, according to the BBC. 

“It was a very good feeling, especially because you can see that they are happy, that is our target,” said Maresca after the match. “I’m very happy with the five we scored. I’m not happy with the first 15-20 minutes, where we struggled. The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man-to-man and the first 15-20 minutes we were not pressing them man-to-man. We adjusted that and the game was much better. For sure we could score more but five goals – they are enough.” 

Last night’s result also means that Chelsea can now lay claim to two of the Premier League’s top five goal scorers this season, with Cole Palmer sitting on nine goals in 14 league games and striker Nicolas Jackson right behind him with eight goals in 13 games. However, while the Senegal forward deserves a huge amount of praise for the way he has gone from strength to strength this season, the real difference maker in Maresca’s team is undoubtedly Palmer in midfield. Not only is the England international Chelsea’s best player, but when we compare him to his counterparts across Europe’s top five leagues, we can also see that he’s perhaps the best player in the world in his position at this moment in time. 

The graphic below highlights the players with the most goals in Europe’s top five leagues since Palmer made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on September 2, 2023 . It excludes strikers and emphasises contributions from midfielders, inside forwards, No.10s and wingers. Leading the list is Palmer himself, who has netted 31 goals in 47 games, showcasing an impressive goal-scoring record for a non-striker since his arrival at Chelsea. Following Palmer is Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who has scored 30 goals in 43 games. Salah’s consistent ability to find the back of the net solidifies his reputation as one of the most prolific wingers in world football and fuels an endless discussion over his future at the Anfield club next season. 

Surprisingly, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior ranks third with only 22 goals in 36 games, highlighting his effectiveness and attacking prowess for the Spanish giants. However, fans of the Spanish giants may be surprised to see the Brazil international so far behind the likes of Palmer and Salah, despite the strong campaign and assumption that he was a shoe-in for this year’s Ballon d’Or award. Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur occupies the fourth position, having scored 20 goals in 42 games, while Jude Bellingham of Madrid shares the fifth spot with 19 goals in 36 matches. Bellingham’s inclusion is especially notable as the top central midfielder on the list, underlining his dual role as a playmaker and scorer for his team. However, with just four goals in 17 games this season, the England international may see his name tumble down the list in the months to come. 

Two notable names on the list are Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Manchester City’s Phil Foden. Not only are both players among the most valuable talents in the Premier League, but are also Palmer’s compatriots and the two players that the young Chelsea talent is routinely compared to. Indeed, considering that Palmer left Man City because Foden was blocking his route to Pep Guardiola’s first team, it will undoubtedly delight the Chelsea star and his fans at Stamford Bridge to enact some harmless revenge on his former team mate at Man City. But, considering Palmer’s cool demeanour and obvious ambitions, all these goals will mean very little unless it can help guide Chelsea back to the top four this season and towards challenging for some serious silverware.