Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro are Chelsea's best two attackers. But are they clicking?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsPerez Wants Mourinho BackPSG vs. Bayern Munich ReactionsGordon's Newcastle FutureUCL Semi-Final PredictionsInside Kompany’s SuccessCole Palmer and Joao Pedro are Chelsea’s best two attackers. But are they clicking?Is there a lack of chemistry between Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro? Franck Fife/Getty Images Share articleIt was the moment that settled last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup beyond all doubt, and a moment which promised much more to come. In the 43rd minute at MetLife Stadium, Cole Palmer received the ball deep inside Chelsea territory on the half-turn. He drove upfield through the inside right channel, surveying the backtracking Paris Saint-Germain defenders as he went. His eyes met those of Joao Pedro, doubling back from a diagonal run infield, and their minds connected. Palmer delayed a crucial beat to freeze the PSG defence, then deftly slipped the ball through their last line into the penalty area. Joao Pedro ran onto it and coolly dinked the ball over a frozen Gianluigi Donnarumma. Chelsea’s two best attackers had carved open the European champions with effortless synergy and startling ease… It was not even the first time in the match that they had done so. In the eighth minute, Joao Pedro showed to receive a pass from Enzo Fernandez in the PSG penalty area with a defender at his back and immediately flicked it through his own legs back to an unmarked Palmer, who whipped a shot inches the wrong side of Donnarumma’s near post… This miserable Chelsea season has proven that Club World Cup success has been a false dawn in many ways, but perhaps the most disappointing is that the slick combination play between Joao Pedro and Palmer, which vanquished PSG in New York, has not become a more foundational pillar of their attack in the Premier League or Champions League. Since that Club World Cup final goal, Palmer has assisted three of Joao Pedro’s 19 goals across all competitions in 2025-26. One of those, Chelsea’s opener in a 2-2 draw with Leeds at Stamford Bridge in February, evoked memories of their link-up at MetLife Stadium: Palmer receiving a pass out of defence on the half-turn and springing Joao Pedro in behind for a perfectly measured dink over the goalkeeper, this time with his left foot. The other two were in the same 3-2 away win over Napoli in the Champions League. Palmer claimed a rather generous assist for Joao Pedro’s brilliant long-range screamer to equalise, then set him running through on the counter-attack to find the bottom corner and give Chelsea a lead they never relinquished… But these moments have been too few and far between. The graphic below illustrates that Palmer has been only the third-most frequent provider of chances for Joao Pedro across all competitions this season, behind Fernandez and Pedro Neto. Joao Pedro has assisted just one goal for Palmer this season: a headed knockdown from a Fernandez cross for Palmer to curl a Chelsea equaliser into the bottom corner away against Brentford in September. Some data providers credit him with four such assists, but this is because he has also won three penalties which Palmer went on to convert. Palmer does not create for Joao Pedro often enough, and Joao Pedro hardly creates for Palmer at all. This reality sits in jarring contrast to the highly productive two-way relationship Palmer struck up with Nicolas Jackson during his two seasons as the starting No 9 at Stamford Bridge. The pair combined for 15 goals across all competitions in 2023-24 and 2024-25, with Palmer assisting Jackson eight times — perhaps most memorably with a cross from the right wing for the header to win the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis — and Jackson setting up Palmer on seven occasions. Jackson proved an exasperatingly erratic finisher at Chelsea, but his natural chemistry with Palmer was an underrated strength that enhanced both players. The Senegal international’s relentless running ahead of the ball stretched opposition defences and offered a consistent target for through balls, while his impressive hold-up and link-up play allowed others to run ahead of him into scoring positions. The below, from a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in January 2025, is a classic example of what Jackson could do for Palmer: receiving the ball under pressure from multiple defenders, spinning away into space and playing a perfectly disguised pass through to create a golden scoring chance, which Chelsea’s No 10 converts after sitting down the goalkeeper. Joao Pedro also has highly impressive hold-up and link-up skills, but these have yet to yield shooting opportunities for Palmer. Perhaps the below graphic holds a clue: the overlap in their respective touch maps is a recipe either for quick, slick combinations, or for congestion… A huge part of Joao Pedro’s individual scoring breakthrough this season has been his success in re-modelling his game to play as a more traditional No 9. The graphic below highlights that his off-ball run profile is remarkably similar to that of Jackson last season, though he does still come short significantly more and run ahead of the ball significantly less. Joao Pedro has been a significant upgrade on Jackson overall, though there is a logical football case for reintegrating the Senegal international after his loan spell at Bayern Munich in order to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options for next season. Whether he would be willing to play more of a support role in the squad is another question. Perhaps the simplest solution is the correct one: Chelsea need Palmer to be Palmer again. A season largely spent playing through injury and fatigue appears to have sapped the joyful clarity from his game in the final third. A proper break, both physical and mental, after this summer’s World Cup could be exactly what he needs to return refreshed and rejuvenated. By then, Chelsea will have their new head coach. One of his most important tasks will be to help the two most talented attackers in his squad rediscover their Club World Cup final chemistry. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms