Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca managed to find a way to get the best out of Cole Palmer and must now try to restore Phil Foden's level
Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, talks to Cole Palmer during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage
Enzo Maresca and Cole Palmer(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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When Enzo Maresca took the Chelsea job, he reunited with a player who he had known from his two spells at Manchester City. Cole Palmer had been a shining star of the academy when Maresca coached the Under-23s, and then a bit-part player during the Treble season.
As Maresca's star had risen with his work for Pep Guardiola in that year and then in getting Leicester promoted back to the Premier League, Palmer's had catapulted after taking the big decision to quit City. He was already the Chelsea talisman and the player so good that everything the side did went through him.
However, the youngster also had to show that he had the quality to stay one step ahead. Standing out in the Premier League as an unknown quantity was impressive, but it was going to be altogether harder now that opponents knew more of what he was about and could tweak their plans to limit his threat.
Palmer didn't match the numbers of his first year at Chelsea but still clocked more than 20 goals and assists in the league under Maresca in a stellar second album. Being rested for the early part of the UEFA Conference League helped him stay sharp, and he was man-of-the-match in that final and then in the 3-0 demolition of PSG in the Club World Cup showpiece last summer.
Last season was more difficult, and his form fell away to the point where he was left out of England's squad for the World Cup. The same happened to Phil Foden, who will be reporting for duty on July 20 when Maresca starts to put his City players through their paces for the upcoming season.
Foden was a City academy star before Palmer and has taken his game to even greater heights, being named as the best player in the Premier League after leading City to the 2023/24 title - his sixth medal. But the 26-year-old has struggled since and enters the new campaign with questions to answer about his level.
Guardiola tried to arrest the slump that Foden endured two years ago and looked to have brought him back to his best last autumn, only for that form to disappear again. Maresca would likely rather Foden have been at the World Cup this summer starring for his country, yet he does at least have the benefit of the maximum amount of time to get to grips with him again for the new season.
Having found a way to get the best out of Palmer, if Foden can get anywhere close to his level again this season it would make Maresca's job considerably easier at City.