Chelsea encountered a 0-0 stalemate against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday evening, necessitating a replay in early February. Despite delivering a commendable performance, the team from West London squandered several significant opportunities, notably by Palmer and Noni Madueke. Nevertheless, manager Pochettino has come to Palmer’s defence, drawing an intriguing comparison to Messi, while also hinting at the ideal position for the former Manchester City player.

When questioned about Palmer’s inability to score against Villa, the Argentine remarked, “No, I believe he cannot score in every single game. If he could, perhaps we wouldn’t call him Cole Palmer, but maybe Leo [Messi]. No, it’s not solely about his position—his potential is immense. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t. Some nights are better than others, but he’s performing well.”

Apart from the Messi analogies, Palmer has arguably been Chelsea’s standout performer this season following his £42.5 million ($54m) transfer from City last summer. The 21-year-old has tallied 11 goals and provided seven assists this season, shining brightly at Stamford Bridge amidst the club’s questionable, high-priced acquisitions.

Chelsea will be banking on Palmer’s scoring prowess as they face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday, followed by a home fixture against Wolves four days later. It’s probable that their replay against Villa will precede their trip to Crystal Palace on February 12.

Cole Palmer

This season he played in total 18 times for 1244 minutes for Premier League.

Cole Palmer scored 9 goals for Chelsea. He procured 4 assists. He received 6 yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 9th in Premier League. In the last match Chelsea drew 0-0 against Aston Villa.

Chelsea performance and stats

Chelsea is currently 9th in the Premier League with 31 points.

In the last 21 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 4 times, and lost 8 times. In its last match, Chelsea won 1-0 against Fulham.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 35 goals and conceding 31.​

Chelsea will play the next match in Premier League against Liverpool on Wednesday 31st of January in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.​

Lionel Messi

This season he played in total 6 times for 372 minutes for Major League Soccer.

Lionel Messi scored 1 goal for Inter Miami. He procured two assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 14th in Major League Soccer. In the last match Inter Miami lost 1-0 against Dallas.

Inter Miami performance and stats

It will be Inter Miami ended the league in the 14th position with 34 points.

In the last 34 games, it has won 9 times, drawn 7 times, and lost 18 times. In its last match, Inter Miami lost 1-0 against Charlotte.​​

It has a negative goal difference after scoring 41 goals and conceding 54.​