Cole Palmer says Enzo Maresca does give him creative freedom at Chelsea

Cole Palmer insists that Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca gives him the room to try things on the pitch, adding that he felt he played too 'safe' before creating two goals in last month's Conference League final.
Chelsea fell 1-0 behind against Real Betis in Wroclaw with Palmer a subdued figure in the first half, but the former Manchester City attacking midfielder was notably more aggressive after the interval, supplying two brilliant crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score and turn the final on its head.
Advertisement
After the match, Palmer said that he was 'sick of getting the ball and going backwards and sideways'. The comments were interpreted by some as a thinly-veiled criticism of Maresca's patient, possession-focused style, though Chelsea officials quickly clarified that he had been referring to his own performance rather than the instructions of his head coach.
Palmer elaborated on that before a Chelsea training session at their Philadelphia Union base on Thursday, speaking ahead of their second Club World Cup group match against Flamengo at Lincoln Financial Field.
'We had a joke about it (with Maresca),' the 23-year-old said. 'My comments weren't towards the manager or anything. It was just a personal thing. I felt like in the game, I was maybe being a bit safe. So that's where the comment came from. I wanted to get the ball and try something different than previously.
'Obviously, you can't take the p— and do like whatever you want and stuff, but I feel like he (Maresca) still gives you a little bit of room to try and see what I can do.'
After a scintillating 2024, Palmer has endured a difficult individual 2025, which featured an 18-game streak without scoring. Opponents are going to greater lengths to make life difficult for Chelsea's talisman, while the expectation on him to be decisive has risen significantly.
Asked if he ever feels the pressure, Palmer replied: 'Obviously, it sometimes gets to everyone. But most of the time, I try and ignore it.
'I still do the same things now that I did before I came to Chelsea. I try and think it's just a game of football at the end of the day, like it's not life or death. So I just try and enjoy it. I like to go and play five-a-side and go to the astro(turf) and just do normal things (to take my mind off things).'
Palmer also admitted that he and his Chelsea team-mates are feeling the effects of a gruelling season made longer by the Club World Cup. 'You get tired and stuff,' he added. 'So after this, I will need a break because we've been playing for a year straight.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBS News

21 minutes ago

• CBS News

Red Sox sending Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester

The Boston Red Sox are sending struggling second baseman Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester. ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report Campbell's demotion on Thursday. The Red Sox are expected to announce the move Friday ahead of a three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco, with outfielder Wilyer Abreu set to be activated from the Injured List to take Campbell's spot on the roster. Campbell broke Spring Training as Boston's starting second baseman after an impressive camp, and the 22-year-old rookie got off to a hot start at the plate when he slashed .301/.407/.495 with four homers, eight doubles, 12 RBI, and 18 runs scored over his first 29 games. Campbell was the Rookie of the Month after his hot March and April, and was signed to an eight-year, $60 million contract less than a week after he began his Major League career. But he's gone ice cold since that scorching start, with Campbell hitting just .159 -- going 20-for-140 -- with a .243 on-base percentage since May 1. He's struck 40 strikeouts to just 10 walks over his last 38 games. The Red Sox have put a lot on the rookie's plate, with manager Alex Cora still batting him as high as fourth in the lineup despite Campbell's struggles. He had recently dropped to the bottom third of the lineup. And while Campbell started 54 games at second base, he was also moving around the field as he navigated his rookie season. He made seven starts in center field (including Wednesday's finale in Seattle) and two appearances in left. He also started doing some work at first base after the injury to Triston Casas, before the Red Sox pulled the plug on the experiment. In his 59 overall appearances at second, Campbell made seven errors to lead the team. The Red Sox are now hoping a little time in the minors will help Campbell regain his confidence at the plate and in the field. A fourth-round pick by Boston in 2023 out of Georgia Tech, Campbell played just 19 of his 138 minor league games at the Triple-A. Who will play second base for Red Sox? While Campbell tries to get right in the minors, the Red Sox will rely on David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez to man second base. Hamilton is hitting just .172 in his 99 plate appearances, while Gonzalez is slashing .308/.473/.819 in his 28 games played. Gonzalez has seen action at first, second, and third base for Boston this season. Things could get interesting in the infield when Alex Bregman returns to third. When that happens, there's a good chance rookie Marcelo Mayer (.220/.277/.475 with four homers and six RBI) slides over to second, or he could potentially play shortstop with Trevor Story making the move to second.

Fox News

22 minutes ago

• Fox News

Caitlin Clark has rare shooting woes as Fever fall to Valkyries following fiery Sun matchup

The Indiana Fever did not have to come to Caitlin Clark's defense this time, but the Golden State Valkyries did not make it easy on her on Thursday night. Clark, coming off a game that involved a lot of extracurricular activity after the whistle between herself and the Connecticut Sun, was not her usual sharp-shooting self in the Fever's 88-77 loss to the Valkyries on the road. Clark shot just 3-of-14 from the field, including her seven failed three-point attempts going through the hoop, as the Fever ended up blowing a 13-point lead in this game to fall to 6-6 on the year. Clark tallied 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while turning the ball over six times to Golden State. While Clark struggled from beyond the arc, her teammates did not fare that much better. As a team, the Fever shot just 8-of-29 from three-point land, with Sophie Cunningham, who had been dubbed Clark's "bodyguard" on the court after the previous game against the Sun, being the only one to hit more than one of her attempts. Meanwhile, the Valkyries, led by Kayla Thornton's 16-point night with five three-pointers, now own the same 6-6 record. Golden State also saw major contributions off the bench, with Tiffany Hayes (14 points, five assists, three rebounds), Chloe Bibby (12 points, three rebounds, one assist) and Laeticia Amihere (10 points, three rebounds, three assists) all helping their team overcome a double-digit deficit in the end. For Indiana, Aliyah Boston led the team with 17 points, while Kelsey Mitchell (16 points) and Natasha Howard (13 points) all landed in double digits in that category. However, turnovers played a large factor in the Fever losing their lead, as the Valkyries forced 17 total while committing just seven. This uncharacteristic performance from Clark specifically comes after getting poked in the eye and being shoved to the ground in a very physical WNBA Commissioner's Cup game against the Sun on Tuesday night. Clark was being guarded by Jacy Sheldon when the Sun guard poked her in the eye, and the Fever superstar retaliated by pushing her away. That led to the Sun's Marina Mabrey running over and shoving Clark to the ground while her back was turned. A skirmish broke out, but it would not be the end for both teams. Later in the game, Cunningham wrapped up Sheldon while she was trying to score a basket in the fourth quarter, and it escalated to the point when both players got ejected after their physical altercation underneath the hoop. Indiana ended up winning the game, 88-71, with Clark totaling 20 points and six assists. It was just her second game since returning from injury. However, this certainly is not the way Clark or the Fever wanted to respond after that chippy game against the Sun. Their next opportunity to get back in the win column will be Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Forbes

25 minutes ago

• Forbes

How The BIG3 Is Faring As It Begins Its Eighth Season

Michael Beasley goes one on one against Wesley Johnson in the first game of the BIG3's season. Michael Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, went mano a mano against Wesley Johnson, the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. That kind of one-on-one showdown is a signature of BIG3 play. Each team in Ice Cube's three-on-three basketball league can challenge one foul call per half, creating the 'Bring the Fire' situation, and in the first one of the year, Johnson got the better of Beasley, stripping the ball from the 2024 BIG3 MVP. Profanities and trash talk ensued. Bring the Fire is not only one of the most intense plays of BIG3 action, but it also adds revenue through its Red Lobster sponsorship. 'Sponsors are the lifeblood of sports,' entertainment industry executive/BIG3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz exclusively shared. Last season the BIG3 generated more than 25 million impressions for their clients, and several sponsors, including Walmart, Capital One, Merck and Simply Spiked by Coors, have returned. The Snickers candy logo is displayed on the referees' shirts, and ballboys use Swiffers (made by sponsor Proctor & Gamble) during timeouts. Fans wave foam red claws during Red Lobster's Bring the Fire. Such product placement is a positive economic sign, but leagues like the NFL and NBA have about 40 to 50 more sponsors than the BIG3. Nonetheless, Ice Cube is bullish as his league began its eighth year on Saturday. 'I definitely consider it a success,' BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube exclusively shared. Achieving financial success, though, is difficult for any upstart sports league because of the overhead. Kwatinetz noted that challenge of creating a pro league from scratch is 'not for the faint of heart.' 'We're still early,' he said. 'I mean, it took UFC 14 years to become profitable. Hopefully, it's going to take us eight.' To help with profitability, the BIG3 added local ownership for this season. It previously had been a traveling road show, going to a different city each summer weekend. Now based in eight cities, the clubs have been selling for about $10 million, according to a source close to the situation. That not only grows the financial pie, but Ice Cube and Kwatinetz are also hopeful that having localized owners will serve as a way to further engage those markets. Another positive is the ratings, which averaged 455,000 viewers on CBS across all 10 weeks and 512,000 when not coinciding with the Summer Olympics last year. 'Our ratings are great,' Kwatinetz said. The BIG3's 2024 viewership was better than the NHL's 2025 regular season, which averaged 445,000 viewers. The NHL, however, receives an uptick for its playoffs and plays a lot more regular-season games (82), resulting in a bigger cumulative number. For 2025 the BIG3's first two games each weekend are being televised on CBS, and the second two are on VICE Sports. Ratings for the Week One games on CBS were an impressive 513,000 despite airing against the U.S Open and New York Liberty-Indiana Fever game, featuring Caitlin Clark's return from injury. The latter is particularly noteworthy because the WNBA was a ratings behemoth, averaging well more than a million viewers during Clark's rookie year last season. The BIG3 will play most of its games in NBA arenas, including Houston's Toyota Center and Los Angeles' new, cutting-edge Intuit Dome. But Week One was played in Chicago's Allstate Arena, a stadium with a capacity of 18,500, and official attendance was 7,809. Although the lower bowl of the facility with two-level seating was mostly full, no one sat in the 200 level. The BIG3, however, did a good job of cultivating a basketball culture for those in attendance. Matas Buzelis, last year's lottery pick of the Chicago Bulls, sat courtside under the baseline, and so did Antoine Walker, the former Boston Celtics star, who grew up in Chicago. Beasley even flexed and screamed at Buzelis, who laughed it off. Fan interaction with players has long been a goal of the league. Before his game DMV Trilogy coach/14-year NBA veteran Stephen Jackson took selfies with fans. Dwight Howard did the same hours after he memorably ended his BIG3 debut by getting kicked out after a fight. 'It's funny,' Ice Cube said. 'He was thrown out of his first BIG3 game, but welcome to the BIG3.' Landing Howard, an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, was a coup for the league. He is the third Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer to play in the BIG3, joining Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson, though the latter barely played in the BIG3's inaugural season. Nearly a decade later, Ice Cube's league is still kicking. 'It's a great product,' the hip-hop star said. 'I still want to improve.'