Since arriving at Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023, Cole Palmer has impressed all of his teammates.
However, it was Palmer‘s turn to give some recognition on Wednesday following Chelsea‘s victory over Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
Enzo Maresca‘s men beat the Tunisian side 3-0 to progress to the Club World Cup round of 16, where they will play Benfica.
Liam Delap managed to grab his first goal for Chelsea, but it was another scorer on the day who really caught Palmer’s attention.
Cole Palmer applauds the fans during Real Betis Balompie v Chelsea FC - UEFA Conference League Final 2025
Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Tosin Adarabioyo earns Cole Palmer’s approval
Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George were Chelsea’s other goalscorers, with the former putting the Blues in front in the first half.
The central defender found the back of the net with his head after connecting with an Enzo Fernandez free-kick and picked up the player of the match award at the end of the game.
As he collected his award, Palmer stood by and applauded, clearly impressed with his teammate’s latest showing.
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Palmer is yet to score at this summer’s Club World Cup but will have a chance to change that when Chelsea take on Benfica this Saturday in their round of 16 game.
If Maresca’s side do make it all the way to the final, Adarabioyo will be desperate to start that match. The 27-year-old did not feature in the Conference League final, though his presence was still felt that night.
In the second half, Adarabioyo was constantly giving out instructions in a scene that one reporter described as “amazing”.
Tosin Adarabioyo of Chelsea applauds the fans at the end of the Premier League match
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
A look at Tosin Adarabioyo’s numbers vs ES Tunis
As well as scoring one goal, Adarabioyo also managed to make four clearances and one tackle.
ES Tunis are not the strongest team at the Club World Cup, but Adarabioyo put in a solid display nonetheless.
Tosin Adarabioyo vs ES Tunis Total
Minutes 90
Goals 1
Clearances 4
Tackles 1
Aerial duels 1 (1)
Touches 126
Accurate passes 116/120 (97%)
Via Sofascore
With Chelsea in the market for a new central defender, the former Fulham man needs to keep performing so he can maintain a spot in the side. Chelsea are currently being linked with Ousmane Diomande, among other names.