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New Record: Cole Palmer move close to Frank Lampard Chelsea record after surpassing Hazard

New Record: Cole Palmer move close to Frank Lampard Chelsea record after surpassing Hazard

“I’ve taken many penalties. People say he just scores penalties, but I’m not going to miss a penalty, am I? Touch wood.”

The words of Cole Palmer after he took – and scored – his seventh and eighth penalties of the Premier League season for Chelsea in their dramatic 4-3 victory over Manchester United last week. The 21-year-old, who signed for the Blues for £42.5million from Manchester City on deadline day last summer, has been an absolute revelation since making the move.

Palmer’s assist for Noni Madueke in the second-half of Sunday’s draw with Sheffield United means the England international has now directly contributed to 32 goals this season in all competitions for Chelsea – with 19 goals and 13 assists since moving to Stamford Bridge. Eight of those 19 goals have been from the penalty spot, with Palmer boasting a 100% record from 12 yards.

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With eight goals from the spot, Palmer has now overtaken Jorginho’s highest-ever tally for the club in the Premier League. The Italian midfielder, now playing for Arsenal, scored seven times from the penalty spot in Chelsea’s 2020/21 season.

Palmer has doubled Chelsea legend Eden Hazard’s highest-ever amount of penalty goals in a single Premier League season. Hazard scored four times from 12 yards in two separate campaigns for the Blues (2013/14 and 2018/19. But Palmer is still a bit off Frank Lampard.

Lampard netted a staggering 10 times from penalties in the 2009/10 season for the Blues. But with Chelsea still having eight games remaining of their Premier League season, there is every opportunity for Palmer to at least equal Lampard’s tally.

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And with the rate Chelsea have been getting penalties this season – with the Blues having 11 awarded to them in their 30 matches played – you would not put it past Palmer. The Blues have scored 10 of their 11 spot-kicks this term, with their only miss being from Enzo Fernandez in the second game of the season; a defeat at West Ham United, where Alphonse Areola saved from the Argentine.

Why do Chelsea get so many penalties? Blues head coach Mauricio Pochettino seems to have an idea: “The quality is the idea, the philosophy, it is always thinking to go forward to create chances. We are in the top-four in the Premier League for creating big chances. It is about the philosophy.

“We can see different clubs, they play to try to get goals or chances through set-pieces. But we are Chelsea. We are a big club. At a big club, it is about philosophy to play football, good football, exciting football in the opposition’s half to create chances. That is why.

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“It is about ideas, philosophy, how we taste football. That is why, our attempts in the last third, there are a lot. That is why often we get penalties. That is a good quality of the team.”

Palmer will be hoping to add to his tally – whether that is from the penalty spot or not – against Everton in less than a week. And he will not care one bit whether it is from 12 yards, despite some bizarre criticism of his penalty total this season.

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