Cole Palmer has opened up on the moment of frustration that sparked Chelsea’s stunning turnaround against Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final.
The Blues found themselves trailing 1-0 at half-time in Wroclaw after a sluggish first-half performance and a well-taken strike from Abde Ezzalzouli. But Palmer, who had been quiet by his high standards, came out firing after the break and played a decisive role in changing the tide.
“I was sick of getting the ball and going backwards or sideways,” Palmer admitted after the match. “I thought when I next get the ball, I’m just going to go [forward], and it worked.”
And work it did. Palmer provided two brilliant assists in quick succession — first setting up Enzo Fernández for the equaliser, before delivering a perfectly weighted pass for Nicolas Jackson to put Chelsea ahead.
The second-half onslaught didn’t stop there. Jadon Sancho, another standout on the night, curled in a fine third before Moises Caicedo put the icing on the cake with a stoppage-time fourth.
Chelsea’s 4-1 win not only secured the first major trophy of the Enzo Maresca era but also etched the club’s name in the record books as the first to win all five major UEFA European competitions.
Speaking after the final whistle, Maresca said: “Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winner mentality.”
For Cole Palmer, it was another defining night in a breakthrough season — a night where frustration turned into inspiration, and Chelsea turned adversity into history.
Thank you Cole Palmer! We have quick and skillful players upfront and yet we keep playing the ball sideways and backwards, starving the forwards of the ball. Please, Maresca twig this style a bit, and I can assure you we will score many goals.