Juan Mata had two and a half brilliant years at Chelsea during the early 2010s, but we hope current Blues star Cole Palmer can stay for a much longer period.
Juan Mata, 36, played for Chelsea earlier in his career between 2011 and 2014. During that time, the Spanish attacking midfielder was at the peak of his powers, winning three trophies with the Blues.
Arsene Wenger was shocked at Mata’s Chelsea exit after he completed a move to English rivals Manchester United.
Without a doubt, Mata was one of the stars of the Chelsea team when he played for them. The left-footed magician created so many memories with the club, including winning the Champions League in 2012.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Comparing the first two seasons at Chelsea of Juan Mata and Cole Palmer
In Chelsea’s history, not many players have turned up in West London and made such a gigantic impact in their first couple of years.
Season Appearances Goals Assists
2011/12 54 12 20
2012/13 64 20 30
Juan Mata during his first two seasons at Chelsea
As you can see above, Mata finished his first two seasons as a Chelsea player with a remarkable return of 82 direct goal contributions.
In the Chelsea squad right now, Cole Palmer is the individual putting up the biggest attacking numbers. Therefore, how do his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge compare to Mata’s?
Season Appearances Goals Assists
2023/24 45 25 15
2024/25 33 14 6
Cole Palmer during his first two seasons at Chelsea
Palmer’s delivered a super impressive tally of 60 goals and assists since he joined Chelsea from Manchester City, but that still means he needs another 22 goal contributions in the final months of this season to match his predecessor.
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If the Blues reach the Conference League final, they still have 14 matches remaining in the 2024/25 campaign.
Palmer is included in WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Season so far, even though his form has dropped off in 2025.
Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Chelsea need Cole Palmer back to his best
It really shouldn’t be the case that Chelsea rely so heavily on one individual, but quite clearly they need Palmer back fit and firing for the final stretch of the season.
The attacker’s last goal was on 14 January against Bournemouth. Meanwhile, he’s not registered an assist since 1 December versus Aston Villa.
Jamie Carragher compared Palmer to Steven Gerrard by suggesting the Chelsea star gets frustrated with his teammates like the Liverpool legend. It’s obvious in the last couple of months that the Blues lack attacking inspiration when he’s not on his A-game.
Even though he’s missing England duty during the international break, Palmer’s injury scan shows he’s got no issue with his hamstring. Chelsea fans will hope he’s using the time to recover to set up a big finish to the season.