Palmer endured a frustrating afternoon against Burnley. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Shots, dribbles and key passes all down – this Chelsea star is struggling mentally and physically

Originally posted on Chelsea News | By Will Faulks | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 11:00 AM ET

Cole Palmer is really struggling right now, and the numbers show it. He’s fallen a long way from where he was.

It’s been a tough time for Cole Palmer recently, and the stats show it very clearly.

In the Premier League Palmer this season has 2.3 shots per game, 0.8 key passes per game, 0.9 dribbles per game, and is dispossessed 1.2 times per game.

Last season, those numbers were 3.5 shots per game, 2.5 key passes per game, 1.4 dribbles per game, dispossessed 1.0 times.

The season before that, 3.3 shots per game, 2.2 key passes per game, 1.6 dribbles per game, dispossessed 1.3 times per game.

So he’s shooting less, creating far less, dribbling less, and getting the ball taken off him more. That’s led to far fewer assists (he has one this season, following seasons of 8 and 11), and goals (he has 8, almost all penalties, following seasons of 15 and 22).

Palmer showing signs of frustrating as he fails to reach previous level

You don’t even need the numbers to know how much Cole is struggling. It’s evident just from what you see on the pitch. Things aren’t coming off for him, he’s a yard short all the time, and he looks so frustrated that he can’t reach his previous level.

At this point, it feels as much like a mental question as a physical one for the attacker. Liam Rosenior needs to figure something out.

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This article first appeared on Chelsea News and was syndicated with permission.

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