Cole Palmer is undoubtedly one of this season's signings and to illustrate his impact, we calculated where Chelsea currently sit in the Premier League table without the 21-year-old. I tried it.
It wasn't an easy decision to leave Manchester City after a treble-winning season, but from Palmer's perspective his stock has risen significantly since making the move to London.
It's no exaggeration to say that the England international is playing more football than ever and is now the first name on Chelsea's team sheet.
In the Premier League alone, Palmer has scored 13 goals and provided eight assists, contributing to 21 goals. Taking game time into account, he currently averages a goal or assist every 87.4 minutes in the Premier League.
Palmer has won a lot of praise from fans and experts alike on the back of his impressive form. Former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is particularly impressed with the dynamic winger.
“Cole Palmer has class, but his football intelligence is really high,” Hasselbaink told BBC One.
“He is the future. He is in it. [England] In the team, he is playing really well for the club. There's a lot of talent in his position, but he's part of the team. When he plays for the national team, it's another level and it's up to him. ”
Taking into account Palmer's goals and assists, he has scored a total of 15 goals for Chelsea this season. Without these 15 points, the club would currently sit 15th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone.
He scored twice in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Burnley, helping Mauricio Pochettino's side take a point in the final game.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the draw with Burnley, Palmer expressed his frustration with Chelsea's season so far: That doesn't happen, especially if they get to 10 people.
“The changing rooms are really crowded. When we got down to 10 people, we were winning 1-0, but we got too comfortable. Same story, we were killing ourselves every week. As players, we have to improve as well.
“We had a lot of chances, but our defense was poor at those times. It's very disappointing. On an individual level, it's good to score two points, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't get three points. there is no.
“I think it's our consistency all over the pitch, being lively and not switching off like we did today. If you want to do anything, you have to be seriously consistent.”
Read: 8 standout Premier League stars we can't believe Cole Palmer will outperform in 2023-24
Considering Palmer's importance to Chelsea, we take a look at where Pochettino's side would currently be in the Premier League if they had not signed the 21-year-old.
Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle are among nine clubs who would have won more points had Palmer not been signed this season.
If we took away Palmer's goals and assists from Chelsea in the 2023-24 season, this is what the Premier League standings would look like.
Note: All teams have played 29 games unless otherwise noted.
1. Liverpool – 67 points
2. Arsenal – 66 points (28 games played)
3. Manchester City – 65 points (28 appearances)
4. Aston Villa – 59 points (30 appearances)
5. Tottenham – 56 points
6. Manchester United – 48 points
7. Newcastle – 46 points
8. West Ham – 44 points (30 appearances)
9. Brighton – 42 points
10. Wolves – 41 points
11. Fulham – 39 goals (30 appearances)
12. Bournemouth – 38 points
13. Crystal Palace – 31 points
14. Brentford – 29 points (30 appearances)
15. Chelsea – 25 points (28 games played)
16. Everton – 25 points
17. Luton Town – 25 points
18. Nottingham Forest – 22 goals (30 appearances)
19. Burnley – 20 goals (30 appearances)
20. Sheffield United – 16 points
Read next: How Chelsea will save £68m in payroll costs this summer as they rebuild
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