Cole Palmer: Did Chelsea star really deserve young player award over Bukayo Saka?
Cole Palmer has had a fantastic first season for Chelsea, and it is scary to imagine where Mauricio Pochettino's team would be without the 21-year-old.
25 goals and 12 assists in 44 games, are numbers that havent been seen at Chelsea since the peak days of Eden Hazard and Juan Mata.
His performances earned him the award over names like Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Kobbie Mainoo, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and finally Destiny Udogie to secure the award.
Was Saka robbed of Young Player award?
Saka, in particular, has become a victim of his own ridiculously high standards.
The Arsenal man has contributed 20 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season, while being double-marked in every game.
He was ranked the most impactful winger across 54 different leagues in world football this season.
The ranking is calculated by taking into account performances in six different areas: ground defence, finishing, chance creation, take ons, distribution and aerial play.
Most impactful wingers as per @CIES_Football ⚽️ Impact Score 📈, 2023/24 season
— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) May 16, 2024
🥇 #BukayoSaka 🏴 84.2/100
🥈 #PhilFoden 🏴 83.7
🥉 #ColePalmer 🏴 80.4
Data for players in 5⃣4⃣ leagues 🌐 👉 https://t.co/wzhxPYZ9C6 pic.twitter.com/YgqXLXZrTu
He has been relied on to lead the Gunners' title charge and his performances certainly deserve huge recognition.
The standards are higher for Saka now, as a 7th placed finish may be enough for Palmer to win awards but Saka must be a league winner to earn that level of recognition.
Whether or not rsenal win the title on Sunday, Saka's contribution this season must not be overlooked.
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