Cole Palmer has been grabbing all the headlines recently. He has registered more Premier League goal involvements since his debut for Chelsea than anyone else. Yes! Including Manchester City’s Goalscoring machine, Erling Haaland. He won the PFA Young Player of the Year award thanks to his attention-grabbing performances throughout the 2023/24 season. And to top it all off, he has just won the England 2023/24 Player of the Year award.
The football media has unsurprisingly waxed lyrical about Cole Palmer following his incredible first-half performance against Brighton. He became the first player to score four in the first half of a game in Premier League history. This performance had pundits and fans full of praise for the 22-year-old England international.
Gary Neville said he is ‘Not far off’ when asked if Palmer was the best player in the Premier League. Jamie Carragher said ‘He’s the best player in the Premier League’ outright. Most fans seem to agree with these statements. However, eyebrows were raised when former Premier League forward Dean Ashton claimed Cole Palmer is ‘already’ a better player than Chelsea legend Eden Hazard on Sky Sports ‘The Football Show’.
Is Palmer Better than Hazard?
Eden Hazard is a certified football legend. He dazzled and delighted fans worldwide for seven seasons at Stamford Bridge before his big-money move to Real Madrid in 2019. He scored 110 goals and registered 85 assists in 352 appearances for the Blues from 2012 to 2019. In that time, he won two premier leagues, two Europa leagues, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and a Premier League Player of the Season award in 2014/15. He also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2013/14. Hazard won this award in his second season at Chelsea, whereas Palmer only needed one attempt. However, Palmer didn’t have a young Gareth Bale to contend with.
The question is, is it true? Has Cole Palmer already surpassed Eden Hazard? Let’s take a look.
Goals
In terms of goals, Cole Palmer is astonishing everyone with his numbers. 31 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea is a record most strikers would be chuffed with.
He currently has a record of a goal for every 137 minutes played. This far surpasses Eden Hazard’s record of a goal every 245 minutes played while at Chelsea. And before you scream, ‘But Palmer takes penalties!’ So did Eden Hazard, with 21 of his 110 goals coming from the penalty spot. So, Palmer takes the cake regarding goals, but how about assists?
Assists
Palmer has registered an impressive 20 assists so far for Chelsea, with one assist every 213 minutes played. Again, this beats Eden Hazard’s record of an assist every 317 minutes played. And you wonder what Palmer’s assist record would look like had he been playing with Diego Costa, Pedro, and Willian.
Combined
So combined, Palmer has a goal contribution every 83 minutes played. On the other hand, Eden Hazard registered a goal contribution every 138 minutes played. And with Palmer potentially yet to reach his prime, this stat could yet get more ridiculous.
Eye Test
Of course, there is a difference in the style of these two players. Eden Hazard possessed qualities that were not easily quantified by stats and numbers. Hazard is perhaps the greatest dribbler the Premier League has ever seen. His ability to move with the ball at pace, with close control, manipulating it away from defenders’ desperate attempts to take it off him while using his body expertly to shield the ball from challenges was mesmerising. He could make elite Premier League defenders look like hungover Sunday league players.
At the time, everyone recognised Hazard, Bale, Neymar, and Suarez as the next best thing behind Messi and Ronaldo. However, isn’t Palmer, be it with a different style of play, doing more or less the same thing while being more effective?
Palmer’s awareness and first touch set him apart from the rest. His quick-wittedness and direct approach frighten opponents to the point you can guarantee he is every manager’s primary focus when coming up against Chelsea. Stop Palmer, then you stop Chelsea. He has a brilliant ability to take players on and has mind-boggling vision, playing passes that you fail to see from the comfort of your sofa. Exceptional shooting ability, whether in a one-on-one situation, from outside the box, free-kicks or even headers. And positionally, he is nothing short of a genius, easily finding the space in important areas of the pitch.
Overall
Eden Hazard was a one-of-a-kind footballer. But that doesn’t take away from the fact he doesn’t come near Palmer when it comes to numbers, not even in his prime. Hazards’ best season for Chelsea in terms of output was in 2018/19 when he registered 21 goals and 17 assists in 52 appearances. Palmer has surpassed that already, with 27 goals and 15 assists in 48 appearances in 2023/24.
Most fans would agree he wasn’t a better passer or finisher. He certainly didn’t have Palmer’s work ethic. He doesn’t come close to set pieces, positional play, or versatility. In truth, Palmer is simply a more effective player than Hazard ever was. Of course, Hazard was a special, special player and got fans up off their seats more or less every time he received the ball. But all this begs the question, maybe Dean Ashton’s statement wasn’t outlandish. Perhaps Cole Palmer has surpassed Eden Hazard already?
Of course, Hazards’ legacy at Chelsea and in the Premier League is greater than Palmer’s as of 2024. Palmer must show that he can keep up his performances for many seasons to confirm that he is a better player than Eden Hazard. But if he does, I believe this debate won’t even be in question, and Palmer will undoubtedly surpass Eden Hazard, that is if he hasn’t done so already.