Pochettino told £30m Chelsea man is most effective player after Cole Palmer, in attack, must start today
Cole Palmer is undoubtedly Chelsea’s most effective player and proved that once again during the week.
The attacker grabbed a hat-trick against Manchester United in Chelsea‘s 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge, scoring two late goals to secure his side all three points.
They were his 14th, 15th and 16th in the Premier League this season, showing just how effective Cole Palmer has been for the Blues since joining them from Manchester City last summer.
But who is Chelsea’s most effective player after the 21-year-old and who is perhaps not doing enough in attack?
You cannot help but feel that Mykhailo Mudryk can do more for Chelsea with all of his pace and the good positions he gets into.
The Ukrainian is so hit and miss, not doing much against United but winning the Blues a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Burnley the match before.
The same can be said of Raheem Sterling. He joined Chelsea with an incredible track record in front of goal but has only netted six times in the Premier League this season.
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf recently claimed that Sterling is not a player who Mauricio Pochettino can rely on.
Who is Chelsea’s most effective player after Cole Palmer?
Nicolas Jackson is Chelsea’s top scorer after Palmer, while Sterling can be devastating when he is at his best.
However, this term, you can honestly make an argument for Noni Madueke being Chelsea’s second-most effective player.
Madueke has not been a regular under Pochettino, but the winger is such a handful when he is on the pitch and in the opposition box.
Madueke won Chelsea their last-minute penalty against United on Thursday and did the same in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace back in December.
Over the last year, the England U21 international has ranked in the 99th percentile for progressive carries, the 98th for successful take-ons and the 99th for touches in the attacking penalty area among attacking midfielders and wingers (FBref).
The above is not to say that Madueke is Chelsea’s best player after Palmer. However, the former PSV Eindhoven man, who cost the Blues £30m, has shown that he can be the team’s second-most influential figure and should thus start against Sheffield United later today.