Cole Palmer was simply irresistible. On the opening day of the 2026/27 Premier League season, Chelsea walked out at Stamford Bridge and produced a performance that will have sent a message to every single one of their title rivals — this team means business. A 3-0 win over Everton may read comfortably on paper, but it was the manner of the victory that made heads turn. Palmer was everywhere, doing everything, and doing all of it brilliantly.
He scored twice, set up the other, and barely wasted a single touch across the ninety minutes. At 24, he is arguably the most complete attacking midfielder in the Premier League, and days like today are a reminder of exactly why Chelsea paid so much to keep him long-term and build their ambitions around him.
How Palmer Tore Everton Apart
The opening goal came inside fifteen minutes. Palmer picked the ball up just outside the box, took one look up, and curled a right-footed effort into the far corner that left the goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. It was a routine he has clearly practised ten thousand times, executed with a casual elegance that seemed almost unfair on the Everton defence.
His second arrived just before the hour mark when he cut inside from the left and fired low across goal. The assist — a perfectly timed through ball for Nicolas Jackson — showed the other side of his game: the selflessness, the awareness, the ability to make the right decision even when the selfish option would have been easy to take.
Chelsea's Ambitions for 2026/27
This was a statement performance from a Chelsea side that has been building quietly over the past two seasons. The squad depth is there, the manager has had time to implement his system, and Palmer is in the kind of form that frightens opponents before they've even walked out of the tunnel.
Whether this is the year Chelsea finally break through and challenge for the title is a question that will only be answered in May. But on the basis of what they showed against Everton, nobody will be picking against them. Palmer, in particular, looks like a man with something to prove this season — and he is already proving it.
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