Cole Palmer Embraces Freedom Under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea
Cole Palmer says Xabi Alonso has torn up the script and handed him the freedom he craved at Chelsea.
The forward has opened the new season in sharp form, scoring and assisting in Monday night’s 3-2 Premier League win over Fulham, and he credits the change on the touchline for unleashing a different side of his game.
Alonso unlocks Palmer
Palmer’s first year at Stamford Bridge marked him out as one of the club’s brightest talents, but last season bit back. Form dipped, fitness faltered, and the 24-year-old ended up watching England’s World Cup campaign from home.
Now he looks unshackled.
“He [Alonso] just said I'd have more freedom to drift about the pitch,” Palmer told Sky Sports. “Just like you saw [against Fulham] with the goal I scored.
“Last season, I wouldn't have even made that run because it's not a 'safe zone'. But he's saying move across that zone, drop into play, come get on the ball, create and just do what you do.”
That licence to roam showed at Craven Cottage. Palmer popped up in pockets Fulham struggled to close, ghosting into areas he admits he would have avoided under previous instructions. The reward: a goal, an assist and a performance that hinted at a player being trusted to run the game rather than simply fit into it.
New era after chaotic season
Chelsea staggered to 10th in the Premier League last season, a campaign that swallowed two managers in Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. The club lurched, the football rarely convinced, and the squad looked short of clarity as much as quality.
Alonso’s arrival in the summer has changed the mood. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach has been backed heavily, with Morgan Rogers arriving from Aston Villa for more than £100m to strengthen the attacking midfield department.
On paper, it looks bold. On the pitch, it already feels different.
“JP Morgan” and a new attacking blend
With Joao Pedro, Palmer and Rogers lining up together, sections of the Chelsea support have christened the trio “JP Morgan”. Palmer is not exactly sold.
“It's a rubbish name,” he laughed. “We need to come up with something better than that.
“I think we've got a different mix of qualities. Joao can do a bit of everything. Morgan's more physical and I'm more technical, so I think we've got a good balance.”
That blend is what Alonso is banking on: Joao Pedro’s all-round threat, Rogers’ power and direct running, and Palmer’s craft between the lines, all rotating under a manager who actively encourages movement into those so-called unsafe zones.
If Palmer keeps thriving in that chaos, the nickname might change — but Chelsea’s trajectory might, too.
