At Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal won a resounding 3 – 1 victory. – Happy for the London club that captain Martin Ødegaard was back and was brought in by manager Mikel Arteta towards the end of the game.
On Sunday, it will be tough for the Premier League leaders who face a Chelsea team that has finally got its best player back, Cole Palmer.
Read: World champion is “confident” in Italy despite heavy defeat against Norway
Cole Palmer, who scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season, is set to play for Chelsea against London rivals Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old attacker broke his toe when he hit it in a door last week, and he therefore had to sit out the victories over Burnley and Barcelona. The England international has struggled with injuries this season and has only played five games across all competitions.
“He is available for the starting eleven,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.
“Everyone’s happy, their teammates are happy, we’re all happy, and most importantly, Cole is happy because a footballer wants to play games and train every day.”
“He is our best player and we are happy that he is back. We have to give him time to become 100% matchfit. He has performed fantastically in the past and there is no doubt that he will do very well for this club in the future.”
Last week, Maresca hinted that the match this Sunday, which kicks off at 16:30 GMT, might have come too soon for Palmer.
His absence would be a huge loss for the Blues, who are second behind the Gunners and will reduce the gap at the top to three points with a win.
Palmer last played in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 20, and Chelsea have played 13 games across all competitions since then, with ten wins, two losses, and one draw.
He was signed from Manchester City for an initial sum of £40 million in September 2023 and has topped Chelsea’s scoring tally in each of the last two Premier League seasons – scoring 22 goals in his debut season and adding another 15 goals last season.
Summer signing Estevão Willian has been glowing in Palmer’s absence – with five goals across all competitions – and Maresca hinted that the two could play together.
“It depends on the game plan,” Maresca said.
“Sure, they’re exciting. The fans are thrilled. We are also thrilled. We always need a balance between two.”
Analysis by Jay Floe
Palmer’s return really creates a selection problem for the in-form Chelsea and gives visiting Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta another concern ahead of the top-flight clash.
Despite being declared fit, it is still a question of whether Palmer should start. Chelsea have shown that it is no longer appropriate to call them “Cole Palmer FC”, as they have won 10 of their 13 games while he has been out injured.
Estevão and Pedro Neto are in sparkling form, while fellow wingers Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho continue to improve. Enzo Fernández leads Chelsea’s statistics for goals and assists combined.
The most exciting attacking four-seat could be with João Pedro up top, Neto on the left wing, Palmer as number 10 and Estevão on the right wing. Still, Maresca could choose to show respect for Arsenal and let Palmer and Estevão start on the bench, and instead choose Pedro, Garnacho, Fernández and Neto as his attacking quartet.
