John Obi Mikel Sounds Alarm on Cole Palmer's Slump After Chelsea’s Club World Cup Loss to Flamengo
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has voiced serious concerns over Cole Palmer’s dip in form, following the Blues' 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group stage.
Palmer, who was Chelsea’s standout performer during the 2023/24 season after his high-profile transfer from Manchester City, struggled to make an impact in Friday's clash in Philadelphia. The 22-year-old England international was largely ineffective and was eventually substituted late in the game as Chelsea FC pushed for an equaliser.
Speaking as a pundit on DAZN, Mikel said Palmer’s declining performances are becoming a "worrying trend" and urged the Chelsea coaching staff, led by Enzo Maresca, to support the young star in handling increased pressure.
“It is a bit worrying,” Mikel stated. “Cole is a fantastic player — everything flows through him — but sometimes he disappears in key games. That has happened again.”
“He has become a marked man. Opponents now know that if you stop Cole Palmer, you disrupt Chelsea’s entire rhythm.”
Palmer enjoyed a stellar debut campaign, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists across all competitions in 2023–24. However, his output has dipped significantly in the second half of the current 2024–25 season. Since January, Palmer has managed just one Premier League goal, and that came from the penalty spot.
Mikel suggested that manager Enzo Maresca might need to make tactical tweaks to help Palmer regain his confidence and find more space on the pitch.
“Maybe the manager needs to help him navigate tough games and defensive opponents,” Mikel added. “Free him up a bit more — give him space to operate. Because when Cole plays well, Chelsea play well.”
Chelsea’s defeat to Flamengo now leaves them in a must-win situation against ES Tunis next week if they hope to progress to the Club World Cup knockout stages. The Blues took the lead through Pedro Neto, but conceded twice in three minutes before Nicolas Jackson received a red card just four minutes after being subbed on — a blow that will rule him out of the next game.
While Mikel remains hopeful that Palmer can bounce back, he emphasized the urgency of the situation:
“Cole Palmer is a top talent with massive potential. But he needs to rediscover his spark — and fast. Chelsea are depending on him.”