Where will Chelsea be on the league table without Cole Palmer's goals?

Chelsea Football Club is often referred to as Cole Palmer Football Club by football fans due to the significant impact made by the English midfielder since joining from Manchester City.

Currently, Palmer is joint top with Manchester City's forward player, Erling Haaland, with both players having scored 20 goals each. Palmer has exceeded the expectations of supporters since he arrived at the club and has carried Chelsea on his back all season with numerous goals and assists across competitions.

The absence of the 21-year-old midfielder was felt for the first time this season during the London Derby against Arsenal, which Chelsea lost 5-0 to the league leaders. This was mainly due to the failure of the team to create chances that Palmer would have naturally created if he had been available for the Blues.

Palmer has also recorded 17 assists in all competitions, making him Chelsea's most creative player this season, with Palmer alone having played a part in 47.5 per cent of the club's Premier League goals.

Without Palmer, Chelsea would be struggling in the league, currently placed in ninth place, six points behind Manchester United in sixth place. In fact, they would be in 18th place fighting for survival in the relegation battle with just 27 points, having played 32 games so far.

However, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has refused to accept that the team is solely dependent on Palmer.

He said,

"I think we cannot say now that was the reason [for Arsenal's win] because we lost the game. But when you lose a player that is a creative player and helps to link all the lines of the team, it becomes difficult for the management."

Chelsea supporters are hoping that Palmer returns before the game against Aston Villa and remains fit until the end of the season.