Man City Vs Chelsea, FA Cup: Cole Palmer Has Nothing To Prove To Ex-Club, Says Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino believes Cole Palmer will go into Chelsea바카라�s FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City on Saturday with nothing to prove to his former employers, insisting he is the right manager to help the 21-year-old continue his stunning ascendancy. (More Football News)

Palmer, who left Chelsea바카라�s Wembley opponents in a £42.5million deal in the summer, is joint top scorer in the Premier League after his four goals in Monday바카라�s 6-0 demolition of Everton moved him level with City바카라�s Erling Haaland on 20 for the season.

He has netted an incredible seven times in the team바카라�s last two home games, including a hat-trick in the breathless 4-3 win over Manchester United when two of his goals came in the 10th and 11th minutes of stoppage time.

He previously scored from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of added time to snatch a point in a 4-4 draw when City visited west London in November.

Palmer has previously stated his decision to leave the champions 바카라� for whom he scored twice in August in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup 바카라� was based on the belief he would get more first-team game time at Chelsea.

That decision has been thoroughly vindicated, with his performances for Mauricio Pochettino바카라�s frustratingly inconsistent side placing him in the reckoning for the PFA Player of the Year award.

His odds on winning the award have been slashed by as much as half with some bookmakers since his Everton haul.

But his manager said there was no possibility the England international would face City with an axe to grind.

바카라�It바카라�s his first consistent season playing, we need to be careful because he바카라�s still young, he바카라�s growing,바카라� said Pochettino.

바카라�He바카라�s already played twice (against City) in the Premier League. He바카라�s very grateful for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola. He always talks very highly of them.

바카라�He바카라�s not the type of player that has something inside (to prove). He understood perfectly that for different reasons he wanted to prove himself in another club.

바카라�He바카라�s not the type of person to wants to prove something against his former club.바카라�

Prior to joining Chelsea, Palmer had played only 19 senior league games spread over three seasons, and had not scored in the Premier League.

Yet he is now a genuine contender to deprive his former team-mate Haaland of the Golden Boot won by the Norwegian last season.

There is also the growing prospect of his being selected in Gareth Southgate바카라�s squad for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.

바카라�He has to absorb the pressure to play in the Premier League consistently,바카라� said Pochettino, who previously enjoyed success at Tottenham stewarding young talents though their early years, including England captain Harry Kane.

바카라�It바카라�s about the demands in his private life. He is top scorer. He maybe needs to pay attention to different things than before. That바카라�s going to have an influence on how he is going to prepare himself, how he바카라�s going to rest and going to sleep, how he spends his energy.

바카라�We need to be careful. We have the experience to manage this type of thing, when a young kid becomes a big star. Why is he not performing in a few months? Because his life has changed. He needs to learn from this experience that is completely different to the past.바카라�