Enzo Maresca says that Cole Palmer's 16-game scorescores is not fault, with Chelsea's head coach on it that it is a 'mental' problem instead of something 'tactical' or 'technical'.
Maresca emphasized the importance of qualifying for the Champions League in his Everton review and admits that it will determine how much they can spend in this summer window.
On Saturday, it will be seen as a must-win match in which Palmer finally wants to find the goal again, where the 22-year-old scored four times in this very much in this game last season when Chelsea won 6-0 at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca suggested yesterday that the problem is completely in the head of Palmer, while he said: 'It is certainly mentally. I don't think it's tactical, I don't think it's technical, because Cole is still the same player who scored with us this season – 14 goals in the Premier League in 20 games. Cole is the same.
'The style of football we play is the same. The manager is the same. The club is the same. So nothing changes around Cole and Cole does not change. It's just mentally at the moment.
'We always try to set up our game to place our best player in a condition to be dangerous. We have done it since we started. We do that every game.
'If you go back with the game per game, he had at least every game one or two chances. It's not about how the team plays. Again, it's the same. If you want to see it as the team that plays in a different way, you've seen it that way, but the reality is not that.
'The reality is that Cole is the same, the playing style is the same, the manager is the same, the club is the same. It's just football that he is missing the goal at the moment. No more than that. '
In addition to Palmer, Nicolas Jackson left 13 games without a goal. Maresca was asked if Chelsea protects Champions League, this summer will have a major influence on transfer goals and he said, “Absolutely, yes.”