After a particularly frustrating 2025-26 season, Cole Palmer seems to have rediscovered what made him so special: the smile, the freedom, and above all, that ability to create moments that nobody else can see. At 24, the Chelsea player went through a year that left a bitter taste in his mouth, between injuries, a dip in form, and most notably, missing out on the World Cup with England. Now, with Xabi Alonso on the bench, Palmer wants to turn the page. And his first performances of the season suggest that he fully intends to get his revenge.
A season to forget
Just a few months ago, Cole Palmer was far from the carefree and decisive player who had won over Stamford Bridge. After an exceptional first season with Chelsea and a second campaign that featured some incredible moments of brilliance, the 2025-26 season was much more complicated. A groin injury in particular prevented him from finding his rhythm for several months, as he made just two appearances between August and December. Even after returning to the pitch, the Englishman never truly regained his full power.
His tally of ten Premier League goals remains respectable, but it is far below his previous standards. Above all, Palmer finished the season with just one goal in his final eight league appearances. A dip in form that ultimately cost him his place in England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Missing the tournament was inevitably a particularly painful blow for a player who had gradually established himself as one of England’s biggest attacking talents. Palmer had already experienced the frustration of not being an undisputed starter for the Three Lions, but missing a World Cup after being regarded just months earlier as one of the most promising players of his generation gave his disappointment an entirely different dimension.
The player himself, however, prefers to look ahead. Palmer now says he feels “probably the best I’ve felt in a long time” physically. Missing the World Cup also gave him more time to work on his injury and on ways to avoid a relapse. His objective is now simple: stay on the field and let his soccer do the talking.
Xabi Alonso want to give more freedom
The real change, however, lies elsewhere. With the arrival of Xabi Alonso, Cole Palmer seems to have regained a freedom that he had been desperately missing. The Spanish coach does not ask him to stay confined to a specific area of the field. Instead, he encourages him to move, drop deeper, come looking for the ball, and above all, trust his instincts.
Palmer himself has explained the difference compared to last season. Certain areas of the field were previously considered “safe zones,” which limited his movement. Now, Alonso is asking him to do precisely the opposite: step outside those boundaries, change positions, and go wherever he can hurt the opposition.
The result was immediate. In Chelsea’s win over Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season, Palmer scored a goal and provided an assist. More importantly, he rediscovered that sense of ease that had made him one of the most exciting players in English soccer.
Alonso immediately identified him as a player around whom he could build his team. With Palmer, João Pedro, and Morgan Rogers, the coach has a front three capable of rotating positions, creating between the lines, and destabilizing a defense through movement. All three players also scored in the win over Fulham.
That freedom suits Palmer’s footballing personality perfectly. The Guardian describes him as a unique presence in English soccer, a player capable of creating moments that seem to belong to another era. His connection with rapper Central Cee even reinforces the image of a player who has his own universe, without trying to fit into any particular mold.
Revenge to take with Chelsea and England
The season has only just begun, but the opening weeks have already changed the way Palmer is viewed. Chelsea have won their first three games of the season under Alonso, and their attacking setup finally appears capable of fully exploiting the qualities of their No. 10. Against Brighton, Palmer scored again in a spectacular 4-3 victory, further confirming his excellent start to the season.
But behind this individual resurgence lies a much greater ambition. Palmer does not simply want to return to his pre-injury level. He wants to reclaim the place he believes he can occupy among England’s best players.
Missing the World Cup is now an additional source of motivation. While Palmer watched his teammates compete on the international stage, Morgan Rogers, now his teammate at Chelsea, was part of England’s campaign. The two players now find themselves wearing the same shirt and could become an important partnership for the Three Lions in the years to come.
For Chelsea, the stakes are also enormous. After finishing tenth last season, the London club needs to return to the top. And Palmer will be one of the main faces of that resurgence. Alonso is giving him the keys to express his soccer, his teammates are providing him with more options and, above all, the player seems to have regained the confidence that once made him so difficult to defend.
Cole Palmer’s revenge will therefore not come through words. It will happen on the field. After losing time because of his injury, losing his place with England, and going through a season in which his soccer sometimes seemed restricted, “Cold Palmer” is back.
And this time, he seems determined to play without any limits.
Chelsea
Cole Palmer