England drew 1-1 with Uruguay at Wembley on Friday night, as Cole Palmer came on for Phil Foden just after the hour mark. The Chelsea playmaker’s entry changed the game for Thomas Tuchel’s team, which had otherwise been forgettable, and the national media agreed on how well he played.
The 23-year-old has had a rough season because of a recurring groin injury that has kept him from playing regularly. Even so, Palmer has scored nine goals and assisted one in 1,426 minutes of play for Chelsea in the Premier League this season. His cameo against Uruguay was his first game under Tuchel. He had missed three international camps in a row because of an injury.
Before the game, Tuchel told Palmer what he expected of him and told him to take advantage of the opportunity to make his World Cup claim.
“Honestly, he has to show it, because we have more evidence without him than with him, so the pressure is on him.”
Palmer and Calvert-Lewin worked together to make England’s first real chance. The Chelsea player found the Leeds United striker open on the edge of the six-yard box, but Calvert-Lewin somehow missed the target. In the 81st minute, Palmer sent in a perfect corner kick, and Ben White poked it home at the far post after a lucky rebound.
The BBC said it was the start of the fight for England’s number 10 shirt and gave Palmer a 6/10 rating. They also said he should have had an assist when Calvert-Lewin headed his free-kick delivery wide. The iPaper were even more generous, giving him an 8/10 and saying that he did much better than the Manchester City player he replaced. The Evening Standard gave him a 7/10 rating and praised his willingness to commit defenders by picking up the ball deep and driving forward.
Tuchel Sends Message to Phil Foden After Cole Palmer Outshines Him Against Uruguay
Foden, on the other hand, didn’t do much after being given the starting number 10 role, and Tuchel said he had hoped for more from his Manchester City star in terms of offence.
“In moments, I thought he could be a bit more adventurous and could be a bit more like a number 10 and try a little bit more and take a bit more risk.”
Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, and Palmer are all fighting for England’s coveted number 10 spot, along with Foden. On March 31, England will play Japan again at Wembley. Kane, Saka, and Rice, along with other first-team stars, are expected to join the team. Palmer will want to build on this good performance and make his case even stronger for a spot on the plane to North America this summer.