Is Chelsea’s ‘incredible’ Cole Palmer the Premier League’s best attacking player?

As Cole Palmer passed the Matthew Harding Stand on Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion, he tucked his well-earned match ball under the front of his shirt to free his hands and return the applause .

His intention may have been practical, but the image he created was indelible: a 22-year-old superstar, pregnant with genius?

Many in the Premier League would argue that this particular birth is over. Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler admitted in his post-match press conference that Palmer is the best individual player they have ever faced after six games of a season which has already seen his side face Manchester United and Arsenal.

“They had a great player who punished every mistake we made,” Hurzeler said of Palmer. “He punished every single mistake. You can’t stop him in one-on-one situations. We have to defend against him as a team.”

Palmer made Premier League history against Brighton, becoming the first player to score four goals in the first half. There was a tap-in, a typically nerveless penalty, a great free kick and a whipping finish off the post. He had another goal disallowed because of a correct but narrow offside position and he hit the post.

The boy is a genius. 💫#CFC | #CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/pIuZIiKKll

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 28, 2024

Of all the things that happened between the 19th and 41st minutes, only the missed shot was shocking.

“I said to Cole that he scored four goals, but he could have scored two or three more,” Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said with a smile in his post-match press conference. “It’s good that he’s still hungry and ambitious.”

Maresca went on to explain why he’s not worried about Palmer letting all of his rapidly growing fame, adoration and list of individual accolades go to his head.

“I know Cole from many years ago, I had him for a whole season with the U23s at Manchester City,” said the Italian.

“The best thing he has is that he is the same boy today as he was three or four years ago. Goals, assists, best player in the Premier League… that doesn’t change who he is. He’s a simple, humble guy and that’s the most important thing for me.”

4 – Cole Palmer becomes the first player in Premier League history to score four goals before half-time in a single game. Cold. #CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/7dNiM1Ndd7

– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 28, 2024

Part of Maresca’s answer stuck in the memory: “Best player in the Premier League.” In context, it seemed more like an offhand remark to underscore the extent of Palmer’s down-to-earth nature than an optimistic assertion about his place at the top of the superstar hierarchy, but there is a growing desire to make a sincere case for him.

Debates about the “best player” in football are often lengthy, not least because when most people use those two words they actually mean “best attacking player”. Rodri lost one game in 18 months for club and country before tearing his cruciate ligament against Arsenal; How do you compare the value of midfield controllers and defensive destroyers to those who deal in goals and assists?

Erling Haaland has been the logical choice for the league’s best attacking player virtually since his arrival at Manchester City in the summer of 2022, and a paltry 10 goals in his first six Premier League games of 2024-25 suggests he has no intention of to give up this particular coat soon.

The only attacker whose performance deserves serious comparison to the Norwegian phenom is Palmer. His six goals and four assists in the 2024/25 season give him the same number of direct goal involvements as Haaland (10) and he has been one step ahead since the start of last season, with a clear gap to the leaderboard:

In such a sophisticated atmosphere of offensive brilliance, personal preference is often the final differentiator. Haaland is the most relentless, physically overwhelming pure goalscorer of his generation, focused almost exclusively on finishing his plays. Palmer scores less – significantly compared to open play last season – but creates a lot more, making him a natural fulcrum for Chelsea’s overall attack.

This was the story of much of the second half at Stamford Bridge; With four goals to his name, Palmer pushed deeper into midfield, breaking through Brighton’s high defensive line with perfectly timed passes, rather than the incisive runs that underpinned his first-half scoring spree. He might have added three assists to his tally if Nicolas Jackson hadn’t lost the composure in front of goal that he showed against West Ham.

But it’s these spectacular shots on goal that are making the rest of the Premier League and football fans more aware of Palmer’s dominance. In just over a year as Chelsea’s starting player, this is his third cap and, incredibly, it may not even be his most impressive four-goal haul in a game (sorry, Everton).

43 – Cole Palmer has been directly involved in 43 since the start of the 2023/24 season @premierleague Goals (28 goals, 15 assists), more than any other player. Sensation. pic.twitter.com/jT68CaCTSQ

– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 28, 2024

Palmer has as many Premier League hat-tricks as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink. His tenth successful penalty in a row – which he converted against Brighton after grinning and nodding at Bart Verbruggen’s attempts to save him – brings him within a point of Yaya Toure, the man with the most penalties in the Premier League without missed shot (11).

If the sheer numbers aren’t enough to convince Palmer that he has an increasingly credible claim to be considered the Premier League’s best attacker, then the illustrious statistical firm he leads should be. The celebrated achievements of true legends are equaled and surpassed by a man who has fewer than 60 league games to his name and doesn’t turn 23 until May.

He will be 31 when his Chelsea contract expires. Palmer has a superstar trajectory, a long career and, with a bit of luck, a real chance of becoming the benchmark for all other attackers in the Premier League.

(Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)