Cole Palmer Thrives Under Xabi Alonso's Freedom at Chelsea

Cole Palmer says Xabi Alonso has torn up the script and handed him the freedom he craved at Chelsea – and it is already showing on the pitch.

The 24-year-old has opened the new season in sharp form, scoring and assisting in Monday night’s 3-2 Premier League win over Fulham, a game where he looked like the hub of everything Chelsea tried to create.

Last year was a different story. After a brilliant first campaign at Stamford Bridge, Palmer’s rhythm stalled. Form dipped, fitness wavered, and his momentum faded badly enough that he missed out on England’s World Cup squad. For a player who had quickly become Chelsea’s creative heartbeat, it felt like a jarring step back.

Now, under Alonso, the shackles are off.

“He just said I’d have more freedom to drift about the pitch,” Palmer told Sky Sports, pointing straight to his goal against Fulham as evidence. The movement summed it up: a run he admits he would not have made under previous instructions.

“Last season, I wouldn’t have even made that run because it’s not a ‘safe zone’,” he said. “But he’s saying move across that zone, drop into play, come get on the ball, create and just do what you do.”

That message has clearly landed. Palmer roamed, combined, and constantly popped up between the lines, the kind of free role that can turn a tight game into a chaotic one defenders hate.

Chelsea, who limped to 10th in the Premier League last season in a campaign that cost both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior their jobs, look different with Alonso at the helm. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach arrived at the start of the summer and has been backed heavily to reshape the attack.

Morgan Rogers came in from Aston Villa for more than £100m to strengthen the attacking midfield department, joining Palmer and Joao Pedro in a new-look front line that has quickly caught the imagination of supporters.

Some Chelsea fans have already dubbed the trio “JP Morgan” – a nickname Palmer is in no rush to embrace.

“It’s a rubbish name,” he joked. “We need to come up with something better than that.”

What he does like is the blend.

“I think we’ve got a different mix of qualities. Joao can do a bit of everything. Morgan’s more physical and I’m more technical, so I think we’ve got a good balance.”

Freedom for Palmer, power from Rogers, versatility from Joao Pedro. If Alonso can keep that balance humming, Chelsea’s days of drifting in mid-table may not last much longer.