Michael Owen emphasised the qualities of Chelsea star Cole Palmer, drawing parallels to Lionel Messi’s ball control skills, particularly in tight situations.
The former striker noted that Enzo Fernandez, a fellow teammate at Chelsea, holds Palmer in high regard and trusts him to handle the ball similarly to Messi. Owen made these remarks during a Premier League Productions interview.
This confidence in Palmer was evident when Fernandez passed the ball to him during a match against Newcastle, despite the presence of opposing players, leading to Palmer’s goal in the second half.
Owen stated: “He is just in form, real form. I just love the way he plays. He scored a lovely goal tonight as well. You can give the ball to him in tight spaces. It’s an incredible skill. Not only that, if you have the trust of your teammates to pass you the ball in these tight spaces, then all of a sudden, you are away.”
He added: “The way Fernandez passed him the ball when the four players were around him, just shows he is a good player. To have the trust of your players like that, it just goes to show me that he rates him.”
Chelsea showing improvements under Mauricio Pochettino
Despite having a poor season for much of this campaign, it now seems as though Chelsea are beginning to gather some momentum as this season draws to an end. And they very nearly had a trophy when they met Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final only to lose in the dying minutes of extra time.
Owen commented on Chelsea showing signs of life: “It’s probably taken longer than people imagined, but they have some very good players in there like Cole Palmer, who was very good again.”