A tough period for the 22-year-old has coincided with the club's overall dip in form, and Enzo Maresca needs him back to his best as soon as possible
It's little surprise that Chelsea's alarming downturn in form has coincided with their talisman looking a little off colour. Ever-consistent Cole Palmer has gone through a rare, long-overdue rough spell of late, exposing just how important he is to the Blues' prospects.
This alarming dip means they have now registered just three wins in 11 games, with one of those coming against League Two strugglers Morecambe in the FA Cup.
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Compared to a number of his team-mates, Palmer can still hold his head up high having continued to come up clutch in a number of challenging situations, but there is no doubt that his level has dropped as Chelsea begin to flounder. He needs to rediscover his best form to get them out of a rut.
Crystal Palace FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League
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It was Palmer who strolled through Fulham's defence to score an outrageous individual goal before the Cottagers came from behind to win on Boxing Day, Palmer who swept home a clinical opener in the disappointing draw at Crystal Palace, Palmer who sat the goalkeeper down and rolled the ball into the back of the net before the Blues surrendered a two-goal lead to be held by Bournemouth.
However, while Chelsea have found a way to win again in the month since amid some continued poor results, Palmer's influence has waned somewhat - although he was still the catalyst for own goals conceded by West Ham and Brighton.
Without his usual influence on proceedings, the west Londoners look far, far less threatening going forward and are evidently struggling for creativity and goals.
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Frustrated figure
Such has been Palmer's consistency since he emerged as a genuine superstar at Stamford Bridge last season that he has been conspicuous in his anonymity in recent games. There is a sense that, when Chelsea have really needed him of late, he has not been able to haul them over the line.
Having been quiet in the victory over Wolves, he went AWOL against former club Manchester City, spurning a glorious chance to lay the ball on a plate for Nicolas Jackson when the Blues were already leading 1-0, although the striker could have done better. Maresca's men were made to pay as a City side that was there for the taking came from behind to triumph 3-1.
Another subdued display against West Ham preceded back-to-back defeats in the FA Cup and Premier League, respectively, where he was thoroughly dealt with by Brighton, cutting a particularly frustrated figure in the latter game as he was frozen out by the Seagulls' intelligent pressing as they hunted in packs - a stark contrast to the reverse league fixture when Palmer scored all four goals in a 4-2 victory.
According to The Athletic, the 22-year-old gave the ball away 12 times in the second half alone at the Amex Stadium as he hit a new low in this current dip in form.
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Overelliance
Chelsea's recent struggles have undoubtedly highlighted an overreliance on Palmer's goals and creativity, meaning that when he is out of form, the whole team seems to be out of form.
With Mykhailo Mudryk serving a doping suspension, Chelsea's available wingers - Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke - have provided a combined 20 goals and assists in the Premier League this season - the same number Palmer has weighed in with all on his own.
Although he was in the midst of his own goal drought, Jackson's hamstring injury earlier in February has exacerbated the situation over the past two games, with defenders zoning in on the Blues' key attacking midfielder in the absence of the tireless Senegalese striker, who is so good at occupying backlines even when he isn't troubling the scoreboard.
Christopher Nkunku has deputised up top, but he doesn't have the same understanding with Palmer and is very clearly not the out-and-out No.9 that Chelsea dearly lack. If anything, the Frenchman arguably gets in Palmer's way as he drops deep to get on the ball having made his name as a roaming No.10.
Maresca needs his other attacking players to do their share and take the initiative, having perhaps grown over-reliant on Palmer's exploits over the past 18 months.
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'Not only Palmer who is frustrated'
Concerningly for Chelsea and their followers, there are the early signs of discontent behind the scenes; Palmer went straight down the tunnel following the full-time whistle on the south coast on Friday before being ushered back onto the pitch to acknowledge the disgruntled away support, who had vented their frustration during the dire 3-0 loss.
Addressing the situation later on, Maresca said: "Football is a team game, it’s not tennis; it’s not only Cole Palmer who is frustrated. In one way it can show the desire of Cole to improve things. But it’s not just about Cole, it’s about all the players.
"It’s a little bit like the fans, when you don’t win a game it’s normal that they are not happy and when we win games everyone is happy and the players are exactly the same. When we don’t win, they feel frustrated. We need all of them in this moment to be more positive because this is a moment where we need to stick together and try to finish in the best way."
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
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Endgame?
Chelsea's recent nosedive and subsequent slide down the table to sixth place has cranked up the external noise around Palmer, amid the threat of yet again failing to qualify for the Champions League. There is a widely held view that their talisman - who has already shown his ruthlessness by leaving boyhood club Man City for Chelsea in 2023 - would not hesitate to ditch the Blues if he deemed them unable to match his ambitions.
Speaking after the second Brighton defeat, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said: "The one thing I took from this game is not just how poor they were but the frustration from Palmer. He won't wait around for this idea that 'in a couple of years, we will make the Champions League'.
"The idea that this project is going to take two or three years, the problem is that the best players won't wait for that. Cole Palmer is one of the best players in the Premier League. You could start to feel the frustration starting to build. He's good enough to be competing for the biggest honours in the Premier League and Champions League."
Palmer has indeed established himself as one of the finest players in England and arguably the world, and it would be little surprise if Europe's elite came calling in the summer. You could hardly begrudge his head being turned if Chelsea fail to secure Champions League football.
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Best find a way
Whatever happens down the line, though, it's abundantly clear that Chelsea need their prized asset to rediscover himself and step up as soon as possible. After all, that is what the very best players do.
He is the one who makes the Blues tick, and they will inevitably improve when he hits his stride again - but that's not to say he doesn't need help from his team-mates, who haven't pulled their weight so far this season.
The next few months could well be Palmer's proving ground amid tired debate over whether he is or isn't world-class, and he has all the ability to galvanise this group to relaunch their push for a Champions League place in what remains of the campaign.
The success of Chelsea's season and - who knows - the prospect of a blockbuster transfer to one of Europe's elite may well depend on it.
