After a big win over West Ham, Coach Maresca made a statement about Palmer

Coach Enzo Maresca gave significant remarks regarding Cole Palmer after Chelsea secured an easy win over West Ham.

Chelsea recorded their first Premier League victory of the 2025/26 season when they comfortably defeated West Ham at their opponent’s home ground.

During the match, Chelsea faced early challenges as key player Cole Palmer suffered an injury during warm-up and had to sit out, and the team conceded a goal as early as the 5th minute. Nevertheless, Coach Enzo Maresca was pleased with his players’ performance that led to an impressive comeback.

Specifically, he said: "Yes, I am very happy and genuinely impressed, especially considering we didn’t start well. Palmer got injured, then conceded a goal within five minutes, but the team’s response was outstanding...

In attack, the fluidity and flexibility definitely brought excitement. However, achieving that requires balance. We need Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Trev, Tosin, Cucu, Malo. The attackers are vital, but defensive players are indispensable too."

Chelsea scored five goals from five different players, and Maresca was asked whether Chelsea had dispelled the label "Cole Palmer FC", which reflected the heavy reliance on the English player over the past two seasons.

Responding to this, the Italian tactician said: "I honestly don’t worry about that… People always have something to say, and that’s normal. Some say we are just a team dependent on Cole. Yes, Cole is our best player, no doubt about it. And clearly, with Cole, the team is much stronger.

However, I think we proved last season, during about two to three months when, unfortunately, Cole wasn’t at his best fitness, we still managed to secure a top 4 spot, which nobody expected. The important thing is, in the first season, no one demanded me to get the team into the top 4 for the Champions League. The goal was to qualify for the Champions League within two years."

Back to the match, Lucas Paqueta unexpectedly gave the home team the lead with a skillful dribble before scoring against Chelsea. However, the visitors quickly regained control and scored three consecutive goals by Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernandez.

In the second half, The Blues maintained their momentum by adding two more goals from Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah, sealing a 5-1 victory for Chelsea.

The three points lifted Stamford Bridge’s team temporarily to the top of the Premier League with four points, although they have played one more match than their rivals.

Related articles

MU submits an offer to sign Chelsea’s 'best player in the world' Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, aiming to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad before the transfer deadline. See more