Chelsea star Cole Palmer may not have recorded an assist since December 1, but his playmaking remains among the best in the Premier League.
Despite Chelsea’s inconsistent form, Palmer continues to create quality chances—his teammates just aren’t converting them.
Palmer’s last assist came in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa, where he set up Enzo Fernández before scoring a stunning goal himself.
At the time, Chelsea were level on points with Arsenal, sparking talks of a title challenge. Now, they are struggling to secure a Champions League spot.
During their recent 3-0 defeat to Brighton, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher highlighted Palmer’s visible frustration. “He’s trying to walk through three players—it’s frustration because he knows if he passes, what are his teammates going to do with it?”
The statistics back this up. While Palmer had six assists in his first 13 league games, his expected assists (xA) have nearly doubled in the last 12 matches—from 2.63 to 4.15. Yet, he has no assists to show for it.
Only Bukayo Saka has created more clear-cut chances this season, yet Arsenal and Liverpool’s key attackers, including Mohamed Salah, have significantly higher assist numbers.
The difference? Their teammates finish their chances—Chelsea’s do not.
Nicolas Jackson has the worst big-chance conversion rate among Premier League players with 20+ such opportunities.
Noni Madueke and Christopher Nkunku have also missed crucial chances, leaving Palmer’s creative efforts unrewarded.
Ironically, when Palmer gets big chances himself, he takes them. He has scored both of his last two major opportunities, boasting Chelsea’s highest conversion rate for players with multiple big chances.
Chelsea may have multiple issues across the pitch, but Palmer isn’t one of them.
If the Blues hope to return to the Champions League, they need to start converting the chances their best playmaker is providing.