Chelsea have reportedly made their decision on the future of under-fire manager Enzo Maresca and Blues star Cole Palmer has issued a response on social media.
Maresca will continue as Chelsea boss despite lacklustre recent form in the Premier League and the prospect of missing out on Champions League football next season, according to reporting by The Sun on Monday.
England midfielder Palmer, whose own faltering performances have coincided with Chelsea's dip after both player and club confounded expectations early in the season, has posted a curious reaction on his Instagram stories.
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Palmer's post features an embedded video of one of his many Chelsea goals with the word 'Enjoyment' above it along with a happy-looking satisfied emoji.
But there's more to Palmer's celebration of better times than immediately meets the eye.
Palmer has scored 36 Premier League goals for Chelsea, 14 of them under Maresca this season.
But the video he posted is of a goal he scored in a 6-0 win over Everton last April, several months before the former Leicester City boss took over at Stamford Bridge.
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It was posted by Chelsea on the first anniversary of the spectacular victory and shared to Stories by Palmer, who scored four times against the Toffees.
Palmer took just half an hour to fire in a stunning hat-trick, following a beautiful curled opener with a close-range header and a lob from distance after intercepting a poor clearance from Everton goalkeeper and England team-mate Jordan Pickford.
The former Manchester City prospect scored his fourth of the night from the penalty spot as the Blues romped to victory under Mauricio Pochettino.
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Chelsea finished in sixth place last season and looked set for a significant improvement in Maresca's first campaign.
The Blues stuttered after a positive start and sit in sixth place, albeit with fifth now guaranteeing a Champions League spot that would represent a return to respectability for one of the top flight's most chaotic clubs.
Palmer's purple patch has fizzled out
"Maresca’s dedication to his job and unflinching commitment to the cause mean the Stamford Bridge top brass remain convinced he is still the right man for the job," reported The Sun.
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"There is no desire for another change of coach even though results have taken a tumble."
While other key players like Nicolas Jackson had also stepped up in the first half of the 2024-25 season, Chelsea's apparent recovery was built on the back of Palmer's exceptional individual performance.
The 22-year-old even managed another four-goal haul, this time an even quicker blitz against Brighton in September.
But after 14 goals before the middle of January, Palmer has now played in ten Premier League matches without scoring number 15.
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Chelsea drew 2-2 with Ipswich Town on Sunday and will look to get back to winning ways against local rivals Fulham after their Conference League quarter-final second leg against Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
Topics: Chelsea, Cole Palmer, Enzo Maresca
Chris Nee