Cole Palmer helped inspire Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy in their final match of the 2024/25 season.
Chelsea completed the set of European trophies on Wednesday night by beating Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final, which wraps up a really positive campaign.
The Blues are back in next year’s Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League. On top of that, Enzo Maresca secured his first piece of silverware as the club’s head coach with the Conference League success.
Cole Palmer, 23, certainly left his mark on the cup final with two magical assists in the comeback victory over Betis. He delivered an individual masterclass in the second half to galvanise his struggling side, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
Polish media hailed Palmer as ‘sensational’ after the attacking midfielder’s performance for Chelsea against Betis in Wroclaw, Poland.
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Gianfranco Zola claims Cole Palmer needs to learn extra attention from opposition
Gianfranco Zola, the Chelsea legend, showered current star Palmer with massive praise after his key contribution against Betis.
Interestingly, he explained that the Chelsea talisman will need to learn how to deal with opponents being extra cautious of his threat.
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When discussing Blues star Palmer after the Conference League final, Zola told talkSPORT: “He was exceptional. The first pass for the first goal, I think it was incredible… I was very pleased for him also because it’s been tough… He’s becoming more and more known by the opposition, so he needs to learn how to handle this situation. Yesterday in the second half he was exceptional, so I’m very pleased for him.”
In fairness, Palmer’s dip in form in the second half of the season could be partly down to teams often doubling up on him. If he’s marked by more than one player, it does create extra room for his Chelsea teammates.
In the Betis final, he couldn’t find too much space to influence the game in the first half. He was a lot smarter with his movement and started to pull the strings in the second half, though.
Cole Palmer against Real Betis.
– 2 assists
– 2 chances created
– 2 big chance created
– 9 passes into final third
– 6 touches in opposition box
– 2/2 crosses attempted
– 2/2 shots on target
– 5/8 duel battles won
– 3 ball recoveries
– 1/1 tackles won
Isco, hold his beer. #CFC pic.twitter.com/zjctlSE6H3
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) May 28, 2025
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Back in April, Paul Merson suggested teams are blocking Palmer and wising up to his brilliance.
In his first two seasons at Chelsea, Palmer has barely put a foot wrong. We are pretty certain he will find out a way to cope with extra attention on the pitch because he’s too intelligent as a footballer.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Joe Cole hails ‘genius’ Cole Palmer
Joe Cole, another former Chelsea star, loved what he saw from Palmer in the Conference League final, describing the attacking midfielder as a “genius”.
Cole told TNT Sports: “It’s a privilege to watch this kid play football. I’m not just saying Chelsea fans, I’m saying England fans. If Lionel Messi performed something like this on a stage like this, the world stops. “We’ve got a player with quality that can do things like that, and there should be teams built around him. Chelsea and England in my opinion. He’s an absolute genius.”
When he’s in the mood, he’s capable of deciding the outcome of any football match.
Noni Madueke recently described Palmer as “special” because of his impact on the Chelsea team. Well, he’s just reminded everyone of his potential and quality by signing off for the season with a magical display in the cup.