Enzo Maresca has used the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ to explore new ideas and tinker with his lineup.
The Chelsea FC coach’s experimentation has made Cole Palmer his most prominent guinea pig.
In Palmer’s first three tournament games, Maresca started him in three different positions as the No 10, right-sided winger and then left-sided winger. The Blues talisman returned to a central role as an attacking midfielder in the quarter-final against Palmeiras.
Part of the reason for Palmer’s changing role was Maresca’s desire to get midfielders Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia on the pitch together, a goal that Maresca achieved in the last 16 against SL Benfica. In his coach’s search for different solutions, Palmer has found his footing in the Chelsea attack.
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The 23-year-old England international’s influence is being felt again, most notably on the scoresheet. He recorded his first assist of the Club World Cup in the Blues’ 4-1 extra-time victory against Benfica, and he scored his first goal of the tournament in the a 2-1 win against Palmeiras.
During his breakout 2023/24 campaign under former Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, Palmer was allowed to roam freely, mostly as a No 10 but also out wide on the right. Being moved from one side of the pitch to the other by Maresca seems to have restored Palmer’s confidence and lifted him out of the doldrums that plagued his second campaign at Stamford Bridge.
“Cole can play both sides,” Maresca explained the day before the Blues booked their semi-final spot against Fluminense FC and former Chelsea captain Thiago Silva. “He was playing against Benfica in the left pocket. He used to play in the right pocket. He just changed right and left.”
Palmer said that his goal against Palmeiras was a product of hard work on the training ground. “When I just seen the space, I went in,” he said of his quick turn at the top of the area and left-footed finish inside the post for a 1-0 lead.
After he scored, Palmer ran to the touchline to celebrate with centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo. “That’s my boy. I’ve had a difficult time these past few months on and off the pitch, but he’s always been there for me and he’s helped me a lot,” Palmer said.
Tuning out the noise has not been easy for Palmer. He addressed the nonstop criticism after he ended a nearly four-month goal drought with a late penalty in a 3-1 Premier League win against Liverpool in May.
“The trolls and whatever, I don’t pay any attention to that,” Palmer said. “To score today, I’m happy, but it’s only one and I’ve got to keep improving and try to reach new levels.”
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Chelsea will need Palmer at his playmaking best against Fluminense and Silva, the 40-year-old captain whose leadership has inspired the Brazilian side. The Blues have seen how Silva’s passion can motivate a group of overachievers, having won the 2021 UEFA Champions League title against long odds with Silva anchoring their backline.
Chelsea’s summer activity in the transfer window has brought in new dynamic attackers in striker Liam Delap, versatile forward Joao Pedro and winger Jamie Gittens. At the heart of the Blues’ master plan remains Palmer, the unquestioned focal point of their attack.
And with Maresca doing the mad scientist’s tinkering in the lab, Palmer has reemerged as a versatile attacking threat that can frighten any opponent.
