Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers & Joao Pedro: Do Chelsea boast the Premier League’s best attack? Blues legend Ruud Gullit answers that question

Talismanic No.10 Palmer - who scored 25 goals in his debut campaign at the Bridge and has won Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup honours with the Blues - endured a difficult 2025-26 campaign that led to him missing out on a place in England’s World Cup squad.

There was talk of him moving on at one stage, with the Manchester native supposedly considering a return to his roots at United, but he is tied to a long-term contract and has a smile on his face again after being joined in the capital by close friend and fellow Manchester City academy graduate Rogers.

Two creative influences have been slotted into the same starting XI by Xabi Alonso, as they line up just behind Brazilian frontman Pedro - another man that has a point to prove after being overlooked for World Cup duty.

Chelsea have been full of goals at the start of the 2026-27 campaign - registering nine across three outings in Premier League and Carabao Cup competition - and are being tipped by many to become the closest challengers to defending champions Arsenal.

Palmer, Rogers and Pedro will have prominent roles to play in any trophy quests, with former Blues player and manager Gullit - who was speaking on behalf of SportsCasting.com - telling GOAL when asked if Chelsea have pieced together the Premier League’s most devastating front three: “The short answer is yes. You can see the potential of Chelsea, but it's more about the collective philosophy of Alonso.

“They played three at the back against Fulham, but I could see a very strong midfield with Cole Palmer having a kind of freedom without Enzo Fernandez, which for now is a bit of a controversial call. I do believe Chelsea have a strong side, a very strong side.

“I still have some doubt about bringing in [Danny] Welbeck and [Jordan] Henderson in terms of the kind of mentoring they wanted in the system. I remember complaining in the media that they should bring in an experienced player, but I wanted someone as a first-choice player, rather than someone who will be in the group and play once in a while, just to keep the spirit high and lift the team when they go through a run of bad games.

“So yes, I believe there is a strong, strong squad. Palmer will want revenge. He didn't take part in the World Cup. England did well there; they reached the semi-final. But everyone could see the evidence that if he'd been there under the right discipline, he could perform.

“He's shown he's ready for the new challenge straight away. Last year we saw the talk of him going to Manchester United, and there was a lot of discussion around whether he'd stay. He's stayed, so this is a good season for him.

“There's no other competition this season, no European competition, nothing else, so he has to perform. At the very least, we want to see him committed, and if there's any lingering disappointment from missing the World Cup, I hope Chelsea benefit once they've also sorted out their issues with players.”

The biggest issue for Chelsea to resolve concerns their defensive unit, with Alonso’s side being breached on five occasions across their opening two Premier League fixtures. World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been acquired to help aid that process.

If leaks can be plugged at the back, then Palmer, Rogers and Pedro should pose enough threat at the opposite end of the field to keep the Blues picking up precious points. They will be back in action on Sunday - after another busy transfer window has closed for business - when heading to Emirates Stadium for a testing clash with title holders Arsenal.