The Blues’ talisman is often afforded the freedom to move across the pitch as he sees fit but is frequently found in the central attacking position. Despite the numerous attacking options available, Chelsea’s usual starting lineup in the Premier League consists of Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson. This arrangement means that players like Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, and Pedro Neto often find themselves on the bench, presenting a significant challenge for Maresca to maintain harmony within the squad.
Enzo Maresca said, “I’ll be honest with him [Nkunku] and all of them. I’ve said to them since day one we cannot play with seven or eight attacking players otherwise there is no defensive balance. Nico is playing in the Premier League and scored two goals [vs West Ham] and Christo played the other day and scored three. This is good because not one of them can drop, that means the other one has more chances; thinking and knowing that it is impossible for them to be at the same level all season.”
Despite Maresca’s comments, Palmer was recently used in a double midfield pivot for England against Greece. Although the tactical plan wasn’t fully successful, Palmer impressed when receiving the ball deeper, showing skill with his back to the goal and on the turn.
Interestingly, Maresca has already tried to integrate Palmer into Chelsea’s buildup play, and given Palmer’s successful performances in this role, Maresca might experiment by adding an extra attacker in games where Chelsea is expected to dominate. This change would likely lead to Moises Caicedo playing a crucial role in thwarting attacks, a responsibility he’s handled well this season, being able to manage the defense on his own.
