We’ve seen a few “panenka” penalties in our time, but we can’t remember one we enjoyed as much as Cole Palmer’s against Tottenham on Sunday.
Maybe it was just the context – completing the comeback against a hated rival, in their stadium. Perhaps it was the technique – it was a perfectly executed, insouciant chip which hung in the air and maximised the humiliation for Fraser Forster.
Perhaps it’s just because it’s Cole Palmer, and everything he does is just that much cooler.
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Micah Richards doing punditry for the BBC.
Cole Palmer scores for Chelsea against Spurs. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Cole Palmer interviewed by Chelsea TV.
It also really caught us out – after having slammed the first penalty to the keeper’s right, we were wondering which way the attacker would go for his second. The way he fooled us (as well as the keeper) by doing the unexpected was super satisfying.
Axel Disasi in action for Chelsea. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
Axel Disasi in action for Chelsea. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
Disasi says he saw the magic moment coming
But one person who wasn’t fooled was Axel Disasi. The defender spoke about the penalty in the Conference League press conference yesterday, and claimed he knew it was coming.
“[I can prove that] I knew that he would do this panenka because I was on the bench with Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] and I told him that he will do this,” Disasi said at the press conference.
“I remember last year he did the same. I don’t remember which game but he did the same. Now I think that since one year and a half, you all know the quality of Cole. At this kind of moment he’s a very chill guy.”
Palmer now gets the chance to “chill” at home while the bulk of the squad (including Disasi) get shipped to Kazakhstan to play Astana tomorrow afternoon.
Palmer will be sitting at home dreaming up what piece of magic he can possibly produce to top the picture perfect panenka from the weekend.