Cole Palmer sends clear Premier League title message to Chelsea teammates

Chelsea's Cole Palmer has insisted it's too early to predict where the Blues will finish this season, following their impressive 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The win propelled Chelsea to third place in the Premier League, matching Arsenal's points tally, as Enzo Maresca's side delivered what could be their most comprehensive performance in the Clearlake Capital era. Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez in the first half, followed by a late stunner from Palmer himself, marked their third consecutive win across all competitions.

Despite the team's progress under Maresca, the manager has consistently dismissed any talk of a title race. However, with the significant improvements seen since his appointment, there's a growing belief among fans in west London that the club has moved past the turbulent period that marked the early years of American group ownership.

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Palmer though would not be drawn on the team’s targets. “It’s too early (to predict),” he said. “If we keep winning then we’ll be near the top four, but like the gaffer said Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have been together for more than five years, whereas we’ve only been together for a season. We just want to keep going and winning the games.”

Palmer's goal also saw him become the second-fastest Chelsea player to reach 30 in the Premier League, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The ex-Dutch star notched an impressive 87 goals in 177 outings for the Blues from 2000 to 2004, following his transfer from Atletico Madrid for a record £15million at the time. Palmer, mainly operating as a number 10 behind the striker, has hit the back of the net 30 times and provided 18 assists since last season began.

“I didn’t know about that,” said Palmer when told he was second only to Hasselbaink. “Jimmy wasn’t a bad striker to be fair. I don’t know about the records until anyone tells me. Jimmy is a legend at Chelsea and the Premier League.”

The win over Villa came after Maresca made 10 changes from the side that beat Heidenheim 2-0 in the Conference League on Thursday, with only Jadon Sancho keeping his place. Unai Emery’s line-up, most of whom played in Wednesday’s goalless Champions League draw with Juventus, were made to look tired by a fresh, energetic Chelsea who never allowed them to settle on the ball and at times ran rings around them.

“The manager knows what he’s doing so we trust him,” said Palmer. “The cup competitions are good and people don’t travel so we have fresh legs to change it up. I think it’s all down to the manager and the desire he puts into the sessions, and then what the players give for him. You can see out there from the way we were playing.”