Cole Palmer on Being Targeted: "I'm Getting Fouled More, But It’s a Compliment"
Chelsea's rising star Cole Palmer reveals how defenders are targeting him more this season, seeing it as a sign of respect and acknowledgement for his growing influence on the pitch.
Cole Palmer has claimed that he feels like he’s now a “marked man” in the Premier League because opponents are focussing more on him when playing on the pitch. Palmer has shown great talent and potential in past few months, and defenders from all across the league have taken notice of his performances. As a result, the young midfielder has observed an increase in fouls, which he sees as a praise.
Palmer, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City, disclosed that he started to feel as though rival teams were paying greater attention to him at the end of his last season. “Towards the end of last season, maybe like the last three or four months, I felt like I was getting marked more and it has carried on into this season,” Palmer said.
As the new Premier League season is going on, this has become even more obvious as defenders have attempted to reduce his impact on the game by marking him more closely and using tactical fouls on him.
🚨🗣️ Cole Palmer on being a marked man in the Premier League:
"Towards the end of last season, maybe like the last three or four months, I felt like I was getting marked more and it has carried on into this season.
It seems like [I’m getting fouled more]! I’m going to get… pic.twitter.com/Ls6Wr1nGWY
— Williams ©️ (@CFCNewsReport) October 19, 2024
Palmer has observed an increase in fouls against him as he develops into A key part of Chelsea’s team. Although the fouls might be small, Palmer is very aware that defenders are deliberately trying to disrupt his play. “It seems like I’m getting fouled more!” Palmer joked, noting that although the kicks from defenders during tackle are not particularly painful, they are becoming too frequent.
“I’m going to get double shin pads – one at the front and one at the back!” He added jokingly. Despite these frequent fouls, Palmer still maintains a positive attitude, he sees it as a sign of respect from his opponents.
Palmer has learnt to look at the extra focus and fouls on him positively rather than being disappointed. He admitted that the tactical fouling and closer marking are indicators that his opponents saw him as a serious threat, and he responded, “I see it as a compliment.”
Palmer has already established himself as an important member of the Chelsea team since joining the club. It’s no wonder that opponents are looking for tactics to reduce his impact in games because of his great dribbling skills, vision, and ability to create scoring opportunities. Palmer has embraced the physicality nature of Premier League football and is still doing well in spite of the difficulties.
