All but one Man City player shook Cole Palmer's hand before Chelsea game

All but one of Manchester City's starting XI shook Cole Palmer's hand just before kick-off against Chelsea - although the reason behind it was purely accidental.

Palmer is returning to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since his £42.5 million move to Chelsea last summer.

And while the attacking midfielder struggled for regular game time under Pep Guardiola, he has flourished as a key member of Chelsea's side this term.

The 21-year-old has 16 goal contributions already in the Premier League this season, with 10 of those goals, in just 20 appearances.

And he will be hoping to increase those figures against City and dent his former club's ambitions of retaining their Premier League title for the third consecutive season.

Before the match, Palmer's former team-mates all shook hands with the English midfielder as they waited in the tunnel.

Rodri was the first to do so, with nine other players in City's starting XI following suit.

But Palmer only turned around to face the path in which City players were walking once the first player had gone down the tunnel.

That meant goalkeeper Ederson was the unfortunate player to miss out on a handshake, as he didn't see the 21-year-old while focusing his gaze straight ahead.

You can watch the clip below.

Cole Palmer shaking hands with his former teammates in the tunnel 🤝👀 pic.twitter.com/KTUavudmBq

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 17, 2024

There is, of course, no bad blood between the pair, who were on close terms before Palmer's deadline day exit to Stamford Bridge.

After City won the UEFA Super Cup in August, the Brazilian shot-stopper was seen showing Palmer how to correctly lift the trophy that both players played a key role in winning.

But they will hope to get one over on each other at the Etihad Stadium tonight, with Chelsea desperate to back up Monday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, while City are keen to keep track with Liverpool at the top of the table following the Reds' 4-1 win over Brentford on Saturday afternoon.