Should Dream Team bosses remain loyal to Cole Palmer amid Chelsea’s faltering form?

COLE PALMER (£5.9m) is the second-most popular player in Dream Team right now.

Only Mohamed Salah (£8.3m) currently appears in more teams than Chelsea’s talisman, who is experiencing a popularity spike this week despite the Blues’ faltering form.

Enzo Maresca’s side find themselves in the bottom half of the form table having won just two of their last nine games in the Premier League.

Despite this downturn in form, Palmer’s ownership is increasing ahead of double Gameweek 25, when he will take on Aston Villa and Southampton.

Having not been included in Chelsea’s initial Conference League squad and frequently rested in the domestic cups, the England international has pulled double duty just twice in 2024/25 to date.

In Gameweek 16, he notched 19 points across outings versus Everton and Fulham.

And in Gameweek 13, he produced a combined haul of 28 points against the Villains and Saints – the exact reverse fixtures of those coming up in Gameweek 25.

Not only is Palmer set for a rare double header, his recent record against said opponents is hugely encouraging.

It’s no wonder Dream Team managers are backing him for a sizeable haul this coming Gameweek but there’s no doubt Chelsea’s downturn is a limiting factor to consider.

Palmer has averaged 5.4 points-per-game across his last five appearances, way down on his overall season average of 9.5.

The 22-year-old has provided two assists in that time, not to mention six bonus points, but it’s now over a month since his last goal.

This is not to say Palmer should be criticised for his tangible output as he has been an absolute superstar in that department ever since his move to Stamford Bridge.

He has scored 14 goals and registered nine assists in 26 outings this season – remarkable figures.

But recent data suggests that even Palmer has been hindered by the broader issues dogging Chelsea of late.

Earlier in the campaign, he dovetailed with Nicolas Jackson (£3.7m) to great effect but the Senegalese striker went off the boil and then picked up an injury.

More importantly, Maresca has struggled to replicate the dynamic football that caught the eye in the first half of the campaign.

Palmer owners may have a decision to make in the near future if his returns continue to stagnate but hopes are high for Gameweek 25 – he could feast at home to relegation-bound Southampton next Tuesday.

It’s also worth noting that while Chelsea won’t have an FA Cup fifth round fixture in Gameweek 26, the first leg of their Conference League round of 16 tie will be added to Match Centre once the draw has taken place later this week.

Palmer did not participate in the league phase due to “load management” but he has been added to the squad for the knockout stage.

With all due to respect to Uefa’s tertiary club competition, the prospect of mismatches against the likes of Heidenheim, Jagiellonia Bialystok and Celje would be hugely appealing to Dream Team gaffers.

If only Chelsea would sort themselves out…

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk