Cole Palmer’s lack of connection with Joao Pedro is Chelsea’s missing piece in attack

Cole Palmer’s lack of connection with Joao Pedro is Chelsea’s missing piece in attack

Joao Pedro has been a good signing for Chelsea – but he does lack a clear connection with Cole Palmer, so far at least.

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The Athletic have put out a really interesting article on Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.

The thesis is that, while the Brazilian is a top forward, his connection with Palmer isn’t there, and that’s hurting Chelsea.

“Palmer does not create for Joao Pedro often enough, and Joao Pedro hardly creates for Palmer at all. This reality sits in jarring contrast to the highly productive two-way relationship Palmer struck up with Nicolas Jackson during his two seasons as the starting No 9 at Stamford Bridge,” they write.

Palmer’s decline down to more than just the absence of Jackson

It’s a really interesting article, and one which points to something we’ve been thinking ourselves.

There’s no doubt that JP is a cut above Jackson. But Jackson and a good Palmer was better than JP and a bad Palmer.

In any case, perhaps this is putting too much of Palmer’s bad form on his strike partner. Perhaps he would have struggled just as much with Jackson still here. A huge part of his decline has been down to injury, and the subsequent lack of sharpness and confidence.

In other news…

Romeo Lavia looks to be a key player in the run-in after returning to fitness, and he spoke after Sunday’s win about Calum McFarlane.