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Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has issued an explanation on his Panenka attempt after his goal for the side in their 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Englishman scored a brace of penalties as his side overcame their city rivals to go second in the Premier League.
Palmer had an uncharacteristically quiet first half as the Blues struggled following a poor start to the game and he had to cope with being man-marked by Yves Bissouma. The 22-year-old came alive in the second half, dispatching two penalties to create a piece of Premier League history. The second of the penalties was a chipped Panenka which left a flustered Fraser Forster befuddled in the Tottenham goal.
Following the match, Cole Palmer was asked about his audacious Panenka attempt, which coach Enzo Maresca described as "cold". He said that he decided to go with the technique after he realised that the goalkeeper was going to dive, and it went in.
In his post-match press duties with Optus Sport, Palmer said:
“When I've stepped back looked at the clock and thought the game's a bit frantic. The keeper was ready to dive so I chipped it. I’m just trying to score and thankfully it went in.”
Palmer's Panenka attempt was not the first of its kind from the player, as he did it successfully in a game against Arijanet Muric of Burnley in the 2023-24 season. The former Manchester City man became the first player in Premier League history to achieve a 100% success rate from 12 penalties, surpassing Yaya Toure's record of 11.
Cole Palmer makes Chelsea history in win over Tottenham
Cole Palmer's rising stock rose higher as he scored a brace for the Blues in their thrilling 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The England international scored two penalties in the second half of the game to make it three consecutive games with goals for him.
Palmer's double against Tottenham put him up to 38 goal contributions in the league for Chelsea this calendar year. With this tally, he surpassed legendary striker Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's record of 36 goal contributions for the club in 2001.
The 22-year-old also became the youngest player in the history of the club to directly contribute to 50 league goals (33 goals and 17 assists). With a contract until 2033, the midfielder appears to be primed for many more record-breaking moments in the colors of Chelsea.
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Edited by Aditya Singh