Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically | OneFootball

Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically | OneFootball

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·3 March 2026

Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically

Article image:Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically

Cole Palmer is really struggling right now, and the numbers show it. He’s fallen a long way from where he was.

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It’s been a tough time for Cole Palmer recently, and the stats show it very clearly.

In the Premier League Palmer this season has 2.3 shots per game, 0.8 key passes per game, 0.9 dribbles per game, and is dispossessed 1.2 times per game.

Last season, those numbers were 3.5 shots per game, 2.5 key passes per game, 1.4 dribbles per game, dispossessed 1.0 times.

The season before that, 3.3 shots per game, 2.2 key passes per game, 1.6 dribbles per game, dispossessed 1.3 times per game.

So he’s shooting less, creating far less, dribbling less, and getting the ball taken off him more. That’s led to far fewer assists (he has one this season, following seasons of 8 and 11), and goals (he has 8, almost all penalties, following seasons of 15 and 22).

Palmer showing signs of frustrating as he fails to reach previous level

Article image:Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically

Cole Palmer looks frustrated against Burnley. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

You don’t even need the numbers to know how much Cole is struggling. It’s evident just from what you see on the pitch. Things aren’t coming off for him, he’s a yard short all the time, and he looks so frustrated that he can’t reach his previous level.

At this point, it feels as much like a mental question as a physical one for the attacker. Liam Rosenior needs to figure something out.

In other news…

Reece James’ father has been given the task of working with incoming wonderkid Dastan Satpaev.

Chelsea are planning to take on Aston Villa with a strong, front foot style says one of their key players.

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

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