'He reminds me of Lionel Messi' - Cole Palmer equals incredible Eden Hazard stat with cold and calm goal for Chelsea against Bournemouth as Joe Cole makes GOAT comparison

Cole Palmer equalled an Eden Hazard record with Chelsea's first goal against Bournemouth on Tuesday - with Joe Cole comparing him to Lionel Messi.

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WHAT HAPPENED?
Palmer gave Chelsea the lead against Bournemouth on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge with a delicious goal in the 12th minute. As a result, he became the first Blues player since Eden Hazard (2013-14 and 2014-15) to be directly involved in at least 20 goals in back-to-back Premier League seasons.

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WHAT JOE COLE SAID
At half-time, TNT Sports pundit and Chelsea legend Cole said of Palmer: "He reminds me of Messi...I wouldn't want to put that pressure on him!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Chelsea paid £42.5 million to sign Palmer from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 but now he makes that fee look like a bargain. The 22-year-old has scored 14 goals and bagged four assists in the Premier League this season and last term he notched 40 goal contributions in all competitions.

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DID YOU KNOW?
Palmer played 41 times for City and scored just six goals and created two assists. However, just 13 of those appearances were in a starting role.
WHAT NEXT?
After this Bournemouth game, Palmer's Chelsea host lowly Wolves in their next Premier League clash on Monday, January 20.

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