Cole Palmer's proof for Pep Guardiola
Cole Palmer is Manchester City's biggest threat to retaining the FA Cup.
This article has been translated using AI. See Original .
About AI Translated Article
Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id, and we'll make every effort to address them. Thank you for your understanding.
Chelsea midfielder, Cole Palmer, battled for the ball with Everton goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, during the English Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London, England on Tuesday (16/4/2024) early morning Western Indonesian Time. Chelsea will meet Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (20/4/2024).
LONDON, FRIDAY — Manchester City has certainly failed to maintain its treble winner achievement this season. After being eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League, the fate of "The Citizens" would be even worse if they also lost to Chelsea in the semifinals of the FA Cup a>, Saturday (20/4/2024) at 23.15 WIB, at Wembley Stadium.
The nightmare for City will come from their academy graduate, Cole Palmer. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has emerged as a sharp player who is the only positive thing about Chelsea's fluctuating journey this season.
Also read: The Most Prestigious Trophy for Chelsea
In his debut season playing full time for the main team in competitions, Palmer has scored 23 goals and 13 assists in 38 games with Chelsea. In the English Premier League, the Manchester native has scored 20 goals, putting him on par with City's top striker, Erling Haaland, on the list of highest goal scorers.
The signal of Palmer's brilliant performance this season had actually been seen at the beginning of the season when he was still wearing the City uniform. He scored the winning goal for City in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup. Palmer's goal contributions helped City avoid defeat in normal time in both matches. It is no wonder that Palmer helped City win its first ever UEFA Super Cup title in the club's history.
The celebration of Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer after scoring a goal in the English League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London, on Tuesday (16/4/2024) in the early morning. Chelsea will meet Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (20/4/2024).
Whatever happens in the game, I think Pep (Guardiola) will regret selling (Palmer), last summer.
After winning the trophy, Palmer was sold to Chelsea. Even without Palmer, The Citizens still have a chance to pursue the English Premier League and FA Cup trophies. However, in the second match against Real Madrid on Thursday (18/4/2024) WIB, City lost a figure who could change the course of the game with crucial goals, as Palmer did in his last two competitions with City.
Palmer will strive for the ability to create decisive goals to help Chelsea maintain their hopes of winning a trophy this season. Even though he has known and studied football from the City Academy since 2010, Palmer certainly wants to prove to his former manager, Pep Guardiola, that he deserves to be ranked alongside The Citizens' star players.
Also read: At Villa Park, Chelsea is increasingly difficult to predict
During April, for example, Palmer has produced seven goals and an assist. He scored a hat-trick against Manchester United, then produced a quattrick or four goals when he helped Chelsea beat Everton 6-0, Tuesday (16/4/2024) WIB.
"Whatever happens in the game later, I think Pep (Guardiola) will regret selling (Palmer) last summer. He (Guardiola) may not have thought Palmer would develop as quickly this season. If he was still in City, I am sure Palmer would bring benefits, especially in the match against Real Madrid when City needs a game changer," said Chris Sutton, former Chelsea striker, to the BBC.
The reaction of Chelsea midfielder, Cole Palmer, after competing for the ball with an opposing player during the English Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London, on Tuesday (16/4/2024) early morning WIB.
Positive morals
Two victories at Stamford Bridge Stadium this month have also boosted the morale of Chelsea players ahead of their match against City. On the other hand, the confidence of the "Blue Squad" is also very positive when facing City.
They have held City in two meetings this season. A score of 4-4 was created at Stamford Bridge, then they brought home a draw of 1-1 from the Etihad Stadium.
Also read: Pochettino's Anger to Ward off Chelsea's Burden
”We have to be more confident going into Saturday's game. Because, it will be a very important match for us. "We know the FA Cup is the last trophy we can win," said Chelsea's right wing-back, Malo Gusto, as reported by the club's website.
The last match at Wembley, which ended painfully for Chelsea, according to Gusto, became a driving force for them to play better. Chelsea fell 0-1 to Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup last February.
Leicester City player, Callum Doyle (right), and Chelsea player, Nicolas Jackson, vied for the ball during the quarter-final match of the FA Cup between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London on Sunday (17/3/2024).
"Gim (against City) will be like a revenge for us after the disappointing performance at Wembley last time. We have another chance, so we come to Wembley to win," he said.
As for Chelsea, they have been waiting since 2018 to add a title from the oldest football competition in the world. Chelsea's collection of eight trophies in the FA Cup is only surpassed by Arsenal (14 titles) and Manchester United (12).
Also read: After spending one billion euros, why is Chelsea still in ruins?
Meanwhile, City also carried Revans' spirit, who suffered a painful defeat on penalties in the Champions League quarter-finals. City defender and captain, Kyle Walker, said being eliminated in the Champions League felt very painful. Moreover, The Citizens appeared very dominant, but they were just unlucky in the penalty shootout.
The City squad, as Walker put it, has faced the fact that they failed to defend the "Big Ears" trophy this season, so they are now focused on preparing to win the FA Cup title for the first time in 130 years since the club was founded.
Chelsea player Nicolas Jackson (left) was harshly tackled by Leicester City player Callum Doyle during the quarter-final match of the FA Cup between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London on Sunday (17/3/2024). Doyle received a red card, but Chelsea did not receive a penalty kick.
”The best thing in football is that you have to immediately forget about the game whatever the result in order to prepare for another match in a short time. Saturday (against Chelsea) is a massive game. "It was the best opportunity to lift the pain and fire (anger) out of us," Walker said as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
Also read: Requited Love from Bernardo Silva
The journey of City in this season's FA Cup has been quite good. Although it may seem like they're facing easy opponents, such as Huddersfield in the third round and Luton Town in the fifth round, The Citizens were also able to break the curse at Tottenham Hotspur's home ground in the fourth round and beat Newcastle United in the quarter-finals.
"We have embarked on an extraordinary journey. Facing Chelsea is a big game, and we must have the motivation to do something special," said Walker.
