Paris Saint-Germain knocking Liverpool out of the Champions League has surprisingly resulted in Chelsea's Cole Palmer being discussed. The French champions rocked up to Anfield needing overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg and it was Ousmane Dembele who did exactly that after just 12 minutes.
Arne Slot's side had numerous chances to go ahead in the tie but found Gianluigi Donnarumma and the PSG defence in inspired form. It was the former that ultimately decided the game as he saved penalties from Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez while no PSG player missed.
Vitinha, Dembele, Goncalo Ramos and Desire Doue all confidently dispatched their spot-kicks with the latter sending Alisson the wrong way for the winner. The celebrations that followed were truly chaotic with most sprinting towards Donnarumma as the hero.
Doue however, calmly trotted in the direction of the PSG supporters while rubbing both arms with his hands and pouting his lips. That celebration has become very common over 200 miles south at Stamford Bridge whenever Palmer finds the back of the net for Chelsea.
Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue celebrates netting the winning penalty against Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue celebrates netting the winning penalty against Liverpool (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
It has been a while since that happened, as the Blues talisman has gone nine games without scoring, but it has seen him given the nickname 'Cold Palmer'. Following his move to the Blues from Manchester City, that celebration was pulled out rather frequently, but it also soon became clear that Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers was also doing it.
That saw a controversial debate emerge over which player came up with the celebration and it seems as though Rogers is adamant it was his with Palmer having previously admitted that is the case. "My boy Morgz [Rogers] did one for Middlesbrough, so I told him I’d do it too if I scored," Palmer said after Chelsea's win over Luton in 2023.
With Rogers far more in the mainstream, he admitted the celebration was his after scoring against Palmer and Chelsea for Villa. "Yeah, he definitely copied me! It’s my celebration. Check the timeline, I did it first," he said last April after scoring against Palmer's Chelsea.
However, just six months later, Rogers admitted Palmer has probably earned the right to also use it. "I'll let him have it," he told TNT Sports after Villa's Champions League win over Bayern Munich. "He's scored 40 goals or something stupid. Can't really argue with that, can I?"
The duo, having come up together in the Man City academy, are quite clearly very good friends with that also evidenced by the smiles displayed towards each other when they walked out for the latest clash between Villa and Chelsea in February.
With NBA star Trae Young and baseball player Gleyber Torres also whipping out the celebration, it seems as though it has gone global with Doue also doing it not coming as much of a surprise. Given the pressure on his penalty and the composure shown, the Frenchman arguably earned the right to copy the move.
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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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