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The erstwhile Premier League players ranked the impacts of Cole Palmer and Declan Rice in their debut seasons at Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively.
Cole Palmer and Declan Rice have had their impacts at new clubs ranked by former Premier League players turned pundits.
Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in August 2023, a move that effectively materialised because the Blues missed out on Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise.
It was not the same for Rice, Mikel Arteta’s principal target to elevate Arsenal’s midfield to challenge Pep Guardiola’s City side for the title.
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09:11 - 18.05.2024
Cole Palmer: Did Chelsea star really deserve young player award over Bukayo Saka?
Chelsea's Cole Palmer was named Premier League Young Player of the Season over the likes of Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, and Manchester United star Kobie Mainoo.
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13:11 - 15.04.2024
‘It’s not over yet’ — Arsenal’s Declan Rice believes Gunners can still win Premier League title
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is refusing to throw in the towel despite trailing behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race with six matches to go
Both have flourished in year one, with Palmer winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award and on the verge of surpassing Frank Lampard’s best top-flight return for Chelsea.
The Gunners’ midfield man’s ball-winning ability and ball-carrying qualities have come to the fore for the North London side since joining fro West Ham United, and the 25-year-old has notched seven goals and assisted eight to provide decisive showings for Arsenal.
What was said about Palmer and Rice
Palmer and Rice were unsurprisingly nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award following outstanding performances, leading to the debate on ESPN.
“I think purely because Chelsea have had a bad season, it could have been a lot worse, so I’m going to say Cole Palmer,” said former Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs.
Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop accepted the three-time FA Cup winner’s view: “As much as I think Declan Rice is Arsenal’s best player of the season, I think Cole Palmer has been far more important to Arsenal.”
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What comes next for Palmer and Rice?
Palmer hopes to help Chelsea secure sixth — or possibly even fifth if the Blues beat Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur lose at Sheffield United — on Sunday, while Rice and Arsenal hope for a Man City slip at home to West Ham if they are to win the Premier League crown.
Both players should be included in England’s Euro 2024 squad by Gareth Southgate.
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