Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has admitted his surprise at making such an immediate impact since joining the club from Manchester City, with adapting to his new life off the field arguably the bigger challenge her has experienced so far.
Palmer traded City for Chelsea in a slightly unexpected £45m deal on transfer deadline day, having only made 41 senior appearances in his career up to that point.
Shortly afterwards, the 21-year-old suggested it was motivated by the opportunity of more consistent chances and gametime. "I'm not saying I shied away from the competition…[but] I'd been [around the first-team] for a few years and wanted more of an opportunity to play," he explained.
Having only played 10 minutes across City's first three Premier League games, Palmer made his Chelsea debut as substitute with 28 minutes of the 90 remaining in a defeat to Nottingham Forest. He then had two more substantial sub appearances, before starting the west London derby against Fulham as the Blues won only their second Premier League game of the season earlier this month.
Palmer was rewarded for his performance in that game by keeping his place for the follow-up trip to Burnley and marked the 4-1 win – Chelsea's first successive league victories in seven months – with a goal and assist. The visit of Arsenal after the international break will be a huge test for Mauricio Pochettino's resurgent team and an indicator of the manager's faith in Palmer if he starts again.
"It has surprised me a bit but I know my own ability," Palmer said of his first six weeks as a Chelsea player while on England under-21 duty. "I knew that if I hit the ground running, I'd have a chance and obviously make an impact. That's why I went [to Chelsea]. I thought I could break in.
"It's been hectic but that's good, moving down [to London from Manchester] was a big change. I was in a hotel for a couple of weeks and then I got my own place. It is new and difficult…I don't know how to do most things on my own so I'm learning."
Palmer had previously spoken about the significance of the move from a personal perspective.
"When I left the [City] training ground [for the last time] I knew I was going to London the next day. It all just hit me, sat in the car and going to drive out," he said last month.
"I was just thinking, 'You've been here 15 years'. I don't know any different. I've never been on loan. I've never moved out of Manchester. The only time I've ever been outside of Manchester is on holiday or away games."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Cole Palmer reveals biggest challenge since joining Chelsea.