Cole Palmer: Enzo Maresca attributes Chelsea star’s drop in performance to mental factors before the match against Everton.

Who wins? Cole and Hargreaves face Everton’s Garner and McNeil in free-kick challenge.

Enzo Maresca has suggested that Cole Palmer’s recent dip in goalscoring form is “a mental thing.” The Chelsea manager has observed a significant decline in his star player’s output, with Palmer’s last goal in all competitions coming during a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth back in January.

Since that match, Palmer has managed just three assists as Chelsea pushes for a UEFA Champions League spot. The Blues will need their key man to rediscover his scoring touch if they are to have any hope of climbing back into the top five. It’s now been 16 games without a goal for Palmer, who had previously netted 14 times in just 23 appearances.

Chelsea will face Everton at Stamford Bridge in the Saturday lunchtime fixture, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Maresca believes that Palmer’s struggles are more psychological than tactical or technical.

“For sure it’s a mental thing; it’s not tactical or technical,” Maresca stated. “Cole is still the player who scored 14 goals in 20 games. The style is the same, the manager is the same, the club is the same. Nothing has changed around Cole. It’s just mentally in this moment.”

The Italian continued, “You can see he’s a little bit worried because he wants to help the team. You can see he’s struggling a bit on that. But he showed how happy he was after Fulham. It’s just a matter of whether we can win games. For sure he’s going to score goals.” He added, “If you go back game-by-game, he had at least one or two chances in every game, so it’s not about how the team is playing.”

Palmer will be without his manager against Everton, as Maresca serves a one-game touchline ban after receiving a third yellow card of the season during the dramatic 2-1 victory over Fulham last weekend. Willy Caballero, the former Manchester City and Chelsea goalkeeper, will take charge as Maresca’s assistant.

“They asked me if I need someone next to me in the stands,” Maresca said regarding his ban. “I don’t know if I’ll be alone or if I’ll be with someone. Tomorrow I’ll try to be in the way I always try to be. When the manager is not there, it’s for the leadership group to step forward and take responsibility.”

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