Sweet "revenge" of genius Cole Palmer

Chelsea's comeback victory over Real Betis in the early morning of May 29 in the final of the Conference League (now known as the European Cup Winners' Cup) broke the incredible winning streak of Spanish teams.

Including the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and UEFA Cup/Europa League, Spanish teams have participated in a total of 27 finals and won all of them (not to mention that 4 of the losing teams were also from…Spain)!

The level of genius

Cole Palmer did not score but two assists to start the comeback after Chelsea conceded in the ninth minute were enough for Chelsea's number 20 to be voted Man of the Match, ending a successful season.

It is also considered Cole Palmer's sweet "revenge" against Spanish football after the 22-year-old star scored in the Euro 2024 final but England still lost to Spain.

Chelsea's first win under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital couldn't have been more complete, as they lifted the trophy thanks to the magic of their most valuable signing – Cole Palmer.

Of the £1.7bn the club has spent on bringing in a host of stars (although some of it has been balanced out by player sales), they have found a few gems.

But no one has shone as brightly and as importantly as Palmer, a £37.5m signing from Man City.

After a terrible first half in the Conference League final in the early hours of May 29 – where 33-year-old Real Betis veteran Isco played like a football artist – the second half was the stage for Palmer to step into the spotlight.

He even overshadowed the Spanish star – who is 10 years his senior – to initiate a spectacular comeback and win 4-1 for The Blues.

"Cole Palmer is a true genius" - former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole shared on TNT Sports.

"We can't produce players like that easily – they don't fall from trees!

He had the game in the palm of his hand, and there aren't many people in the world who can do what Palmer did."

Trailing by an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli, the second half saw a real 'Palmer Show'. He danced around Ezzalzouli, sending a curling cross that Enzo Fernandez headed home to level the score at 1-1.

Immediately after, he eliminated Jesus Rodriguez and then assisted Nicolas Jackson to control with his chest and score to increase the score to 2-1.

"Palmer made the difference," former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He's young, but he's incredibly mature. He led the team and dominated the second half."

West Ham striker Michail Antonio continued on TNT Sports:

"The game was lost until Palmer decided to come on. He kept asking for the ball, holding the ball, and controlling the game. Two incredible passes, two great goals. A real class player."

"Difficulty will help Palmer grow up"

After an explosive first season with 22 Premier League goals, Palmer endured a challenging second season.

Since January 14, he has scored just one goal – a 90th-minute penalty in a 3-1 win over Liverpool in early May.

However, against Betis, he reminded everyone of his natural qualities.

According to coach Enzo Maresca, the 18-game goalless streak will be valuable experience for Palmer to mature.

"The difficult times will make him better, I have no doubt about that," Maresca said. "Everyone knows Palmer is a top player. Our job is to put him in the right place at the right time.

In the final third, Palmer can decide a game – either with a goal or an assist."

Jackson paid the debt with the decisive goal. No one needed a goal in this final more than Nicolas Jackson.

Before the match, coach Maresca himself admitted that Jackson "owed" his teammates after the red card in the 0-2 loss to Newcastle on May 11 - a mistake that could have caused Chelsea to miss the Champions League.

But after the match, Maresca said: "This is the Nico the team needs."

Jackson is among a group of players who have failed to win over the Stamford Bridge faithful – and the club are also looking for a new striker, with Liam Delap from Ipswich Town a target.

However, like Maresca himself and the board, Jackson has rebuilt confidence with a championship.

For Maresca, this is a chance to prove Chelsea can build a winning mentality – despite the criticism he has received over his lacklustre style of play and poor results in the winter.

For the American owners, after 1,201 days without a trophy, the moment captain Reece James lifted the Conference League trophy – the first trophy of his reign – brought new life.

Boehly was the first to take to the field to celebrate with the team, followed by Clearlake Capital's two "bosses" Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano - albeit reluctantly.

Boehly and Clearlake have not always seen eye to eye this season, but after Chelsea decided to continue to put their faith in Maresca, the atmosphere is slowly stabilising again.

Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest to qualify for the Champions League, then went on to beat Betis to take home the title.

However, they still failed to sell out tickets for the final in Poland – a sign that fans are not really interested in the “third-tier European tournament”. And if they don’t improve and win more trophies next season, they will quickly turn their backs.

Substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall said: "I have a lot more to show. Once you've touched glory, you crave even more."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/man-phuc-thu-ngot-ngao-cua-thien-tai-cole-palmer-196250529084749148.htm