Cole Palmer Shines as Chelsea Wins Matchweek 1

Cole Palmer has started the new campaign exactly where he left off – at the centre of everything Chelsea do well.

The 22-year-old has been voted Player of the Matchweek for Matchweek 1 after a commanding performance in Chelsea’s breathless 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, a west London derby that quickly turned into the Cole Palmer show.

He set the tone early. Operating between the lines and constantly demanding the ball, Palmer slipped in Joao Pedro for the opener, threading the kind of pass that cuts both defenders and tension in one movement. From there, Chelsea leaned on him whenever the game threatened to tilt away.

The decisive moment came right after the interval. With Fulham chasing a way back, Palmer stepped up again, this time finishing the move himself at the start of the second half with what proved to be the winner. The strike underlined what the numbers had already been screaming: this was his match.

The statistics back up the eye test. Palmer attempted five shots, more than any of his team-mates. He had nine touches inside the Fulham penalty area, constantly probing, turning, asking questions. He won 10 duels, refused to be eased off the ball, and recovered possession seven times, leading Chelsea in all four categories.

The pressure finally told in the voting as well. Palmer collected 40 per cent of the fans’ vote for Player of the Matchweek, comfortably clear of Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who finished second on 22 per cent.

It is Palmer’s first Player of the Matchweek award since Matchweek 25 of last season, when he tore into Wolverhampton Wanderers with a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory. Different opponent, same outcome: when Chelsea need a match-winner, his name keeps rising to the top.