Declan Rice sends clear two-word message to Cole Palmer Everton clash
Declan Rice has joined those left in awe by Cole Palmer’s latest Chelsea masterclass after he scored four times against Everton in a huge 6-0 win. The victory leaves the Blues within touching distance of the European places wih games in hand on all their rivals.
Despite the win, it was a second-half penalty spat between Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson that stole the headlines. Meanwhile, Palmer was at it yet again as he raced to a 20th goal of the season, drawing level with Erling Haaland.
The 21-year-old has done this from just 27 appearances and 23 starts, too, assisting nine times in the process. He is joint-top of the goal contribution table alongside Ollie Watkins.
Unsurprisingly, he also tops the per90 goals and assists leaderboard for players with over 100 minutes to their name. It comes as he continues to push for his place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
Palmer was included in the group under Gareth Southgate for the last set of friendlies against Brazil and Belgium but didn’t play after suffering a knock ahead of the first game. His form has been unignorable though and the versatile forward is widely expected to be selected in the named squad this summer.
He will join a host of Premier League stars at the tournament including the potential to be alongside Chelsea teammates Conor Gallagher and Ben Chilwell. Rice himself is a shoo-in to be a central figure for the Three Lions.
He will almost certainly anchor the midfield behind Palmer – should the former Manchester City academy ace start – and has taken to social media to congratulate him on his most recent achievement. Responding to Palmer’s Instagram post captioned, “Perfect night. X4 [football emojis]”, he said, “unbelievable bro [clapping emoji]”.
Rice himself was unable to claim victory over the weekend, falling short in a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. He will now be looking to finish the season strongly ahead of seeking international glory with Palmer in Germany at the European Championships.
It’s not the first time the Arsenal midfielder has been active on social media with his fellow countrymen but coming after such a loss for his side it may be seen as slightly surprising given the circumstances.
