Manchester United legend Gary Neville has said Cole Palmer could have a hard time when Chelsea travel to Anfield Stadium for their Premier League clash with Liverpool on October 20. Neville believes the Merseysiders will be aggressive toward him to try and destabilize him.
Cole Palmer Has Been in Sensational Form for Chelsea
Palmer was easily Chelsea’s best player in the 2023-24 season, with the Englishman pitching in with 22 goals and 11 assists in 33 Premier League matches last season. His clinical finishing and creativity saw him claim the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
The 22-year-old did not let the recognition get to his head and has started the 2024-25 season with the same hunger. Palmer has played all seven of Chelsea’s Premier League games thus far, scoring six times and providing five assists. No player has been directly involved in more goals than Palmer this season.
Gary Neville Says Cole Palmer Could Be Bullied at Liverpool
Palmer and Co. will travel to one of the most intimidating stadiums in world soccer, the Anfield Stadium, after the international break. Neville, who knows full well what it is like to play in front of the Kop, sent Palmer a firm warning ahead of the tie.
Speaking to NBC Sports, the Englishman said:
“I always think that Anfield is the toughest place to get space. And you think about how Cole Palmer plays, and the way he always looks like he’s got time on the ball, it’ll be interesting to see how he does at Anfield and how Liverpool will attend to him.
“[They will] be really aggressive against him and test him. They won’t want to let him have any joy in the game and encouragement early on. Anfield can be a place where you can get bullied a little bit, off the crowd, the atmosphere.”
Drawing from his experience, Neville added:
“I always remember when I went to Anfield [as a player], I think it’s the toughest place to go. And I think for a Chelsea team under Maresca, it’s a real challenge for them. And it will be interesting to see how they fare in that.”
Palmer and his teammates got a reality check in their meeting with Liverpool at Anfield last season. The Anfield outfit ran circles around the visitors and came away with a 4-1 win.
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