Chelsea have hardly gone from strength to strength since Mason Mount’s acrimonious defection to Manchester United, but his fellow England midfielder Cole Palmer embraced all talismanic responsibilities virtually from the moment he arrived from Manchester City in August, and now he is the man the club’s supporters look to as the source of inspiration in good times and the sole beacon of hope in the darkness.
The fact that Palmer is already regarded with the rare level of affection once directed at Mount, despite not being a Cobham academy graduate, is partly a reflection of his sublime talent, and partly a reminder of how quickly loyalties can switch. Mount’s role at Stamford Bridge tonight was restricted to a villain’s cameo, his 86th-minute arrival on the pitch greeted with resounding boos.
It briefly appeared as if Mount would have the last laugh, jawing defiantly at Enzo Fernandez and helping United taunt Chelsea with nonchalant possession in the closing minutes. But it is Palmer who writes the scripts at Chelsea these days, and he had the last word with another nerveless penalty and that dramatic deflected winner in the final seconds.
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Chelsea 4 Manchester United 3: Palmer hat-trick decides chaotic night at Stamford Bridge – The Briefing