Is Cole Palmer a star or just hype? Check out 100percentsurewins!’s analysis!

Discovered by Manchester City and a star at Chelsea, “Cold” Palmer is one of the world’s leading players.

Manchester City and Chelsea will face each other on Sunday (4), for the 20th round of the Premier League. On the field will be Cole Palmer, revealed by the Citizens and the main player of the Blues since 2023, when he made the exchange between the clubs.

English and known for his charismatic personality, Palmer is one of the leading players of his generation — born in the 21st century. With a memorable celebration, replicated worldwide, the player has already amassed remarkable moments, even at only 23 years old. But is he really all that, or is it too early to tell? The full analysis from  100percentsurewins  is in the “Is he a star or just hype?” section ⬇️

First steps (2020 – 2023)

Born in Manchester, England, on May 6, 2002, Palmer took his first steps as a professional at Manchester City, making his professional debut in 2020 against Burnley in the English League Cup. His first goal came in September 2021, in a 6-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the same competition in which he debuted.

At a very young age, Cole had little playing time in Premier League matches and mostly appeared in cup games. Even so, he began to attract attention at the start of the 2023/24 season, scoring goals in matches such as the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup.

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His performances caught the attention of Chelsea, who paid £40 million to Manchester City for the player. Thus, Palmer left the Cityzens with 41 games, six goals, and titles in the Premier League and even the Champions League.

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Cole Palmer celebrates a goal for Manchester City (Photo: ARIS MESSINIS / AFP)

The birth of “Cold” Palmer (2023 – 2024)

At his new club, under Mauricio Pochettino’s management, Cole started on the bench, but quickly won over the fans by always coming on well and changing the team’s dynamic.

It didn’t take long for Palmer to become a regular starter, playing on the right wing and drifting into the middle. The first big sign of his potential came against Manchester City, in a thrilling match that ended 4-4. In that game, the Englishman scored a penalty in the final moments, securing the draw for the Blues. The English commentary famously included the phrase: “The boy from Manchester is now Chelsea’s man.”

Cola Palmer - Chelsea
Cole Palmer celebrates a goal for Chelsea 

That season, Palmer was the team’s star player, with several memorable moments, such as a spectacular goal against Luton Town, four goals against Everton, and a key player in a 4-3 comeback victory over Manchester United, when he scored two goals in stoppage time. During this period, he popularized the “Cold” celebration, which he had been doing since his time at Manchester City, with his friend and current Aston Villa star, Morgan Rodgers.

Even with Palmer scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists in 46 games, Chelsea’s season was not good, finishing seventh in the Premier League, second in the League Cup, and semi-finalist in the FA Cup. Due to these results, Pochettino was sacked and replaced by Enzo Maresca.

Meanwhile, Palmer was called up to the England national team for the European Championship, where he was a standout player. He scored in the final, but Oyarzabal scored in the final minutes to give Spain the title 2-1.

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Cole Palmer celebrates a goal in the Euro Cup final 

New position and bad phase (2024 – 2025)

With Maresca, Palmer began playing more centrally and had some great performances in the first half of the season, such as scoring four goals with a stunning free-kick in the first half of the 4-2 victory over Brighton. Another standout performance was in the derby against Tottenham, in Chelsea’s 4-3 win. In that match, the midfielder scored two penalties, one of them a Panenka-style chip.

However, just like Chelsea, Palmer suffered a dip in form at the start of 2025 and even went 13 games without scoring (January to May), his goal drought ending in a 3-1 victory over Liverpool, who had won the Premier League that season. In the end, the Blues finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.

Cole Palmer celebrates goal for Chelsea in the Premier League (Photo: Ben Stansall / AFP)
Cole Palmer celebrates goal for Chelsea in the Premier League 

Achievements and worldwide recognition (2025)

In the Conference League, Palmer was not registered for the league phase, appearing only in the knockout stage. In the final against Real Betis, he had a stellar performance. The midfielder contributed two essential assists in Chelsea’s comeback, which secured the title with a 4-1 victory in the final.

In the Club World Cup, Palmer had a lackluster group stage, but, once again, he shone in the knockout rounds. With an assist against Benfica, a goal against Palmeiras, and an unforgettable performance against PSG in the final, with two goals and an assist, Palmer led Chelsea to the title, won the award for best player of the competition, and finished the season with 18 goals and 14 assists. At the end of 2025, Cole Palmer was chosen for the FIFA World XI, in addition to finishing eighth in the Ballon d’Or.

Palmer celebrates Chelsea's goal against PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Palmer celebrates Chelsea’s goal against PSG in the Club World Cup final 

⚽ Is he a star player or just a media sensation? 📽️

This season, it’s true, Palmer hasn’t quite hit his stride yet. He’s dealt with injuries that kept him off the field for several months and hasn’t returned to the level of performance he showed in past seasons. But even so, based on what he’s already shown, especially in finals, Cole Palmer is a star . Even with a somewhat “strange” style—many say he doesn’t look like a typical player—his brilliant dribbling, penalty-kick efficiency, vision, composure, spectacular goals, and unique ball control make the Englishman deserving of the recognition he’s received in recent years.

Cole Palmer displays his shirt after scoring for Chelsea against PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Cole Palmer displays his shirt after scoring for Chelsea against PSG in the Club World Cup final 
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