Chelsea's Cole Palmer only decided he would pull off one of the coolest finishes of the Premier League campaign thus far seconds before everyone else found out.
Scoring twice to help Chelsea overturn a two-goal deficit against Tottenham on Sunday, the England maestro was crucial en route to a thrilling 4-3 victory. His brace of penalties managed to keep Chelsea in hot pursuit of Liverpool, whom they now trail by just four points (albeit having played one game more).
'Cold' Palmer's second penalty was particularly noteworthy as he successfully executed a Panenka, catching Fraser Forster by surprise. And the Spurs stopper wasn't the only one in the dark.
Discussing his cheeky penalty with Sky Sports (via The Mirror) post-match, Palmer said: "The second one, I didn't know I was gonna do it [the Panenka]. But when I put the ball down, I looked at the clock and thought, 'It's a bit mad. The game's a bit mad so far. He's gonna dive.' And he dived."
On further questioning about whether the Panenka was premeditated, Palmer confessed that he had no plans until the last moment: "No, I didn't plan it, but when I put the ball down, I knew."
Equally astonishing was Palmer's confession that he never practices Panenkas in training so as to not put too much pressure on his shoulders. Whatever approach the ex-Manchester City talent is currently taking seems to suit him perfectly.
The 22-year-old's impressive performances have earned him a reputation as one of the most composed players in the Premier League. Palmer has been shining as Chelsea's key player in his second season at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues suddenly emerging as Liverpool's main rivals for the title under Enzo Maresca.
The young star has already netted 11 goals and provided six assists in just 15 league outings this season. To put that into perspective, Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland are currently the joint-top scorers in the Premier League with 13 goals each.
After being named Young Player of the Season last year following his tally of 22 goals and 12 assists, Palmer is on track to surpass those figures this season. And he's sure to maintain his trademark cool demeanour throughout.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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