EPL: He surprised me the most – Franco Zola shocked by Chelsea star

Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has waxed lyrical about the club’s attacking midfielder Cole Palmer.

Zola said the England international surprised him with his performances and “his ability to entertain”.

Since joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023, the young English star has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in English football’s top flight.

He scored 25 goals and made 15 assists in 45 competition appearances in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

This season alone, he has scored six goals and provided five assists in nine appearances across all competitions.

Zola said via BBC: “I’m very impressed with Palmer because he’s doing incredible things and he’s been doing it for over a season.

“He is probably one of the players who surprised me the most. I could see immediately that he had qualities, but I didn’t see it coming.

“He has the ability to entertain. He always produces good passes and great assists.

“What I love about him is that when he receives the ball he is always looking up and often already has the pass in mind before receiving the ball. This is a quality that only great players have. I’m impressed.

“In the last game, I saw a wonderful free kick from him, which is something that always lights up my eyes.

“It all depends on him and the people who trained and helped him. Now he needs to continue because he is becoming a sensational player.”