Cole Palmer steps up in Chelsea's hour of need and wins Conference League final

Daily Mirror

28-05-2025

REAL BETIS 1-4 CHELSEA: Cole Palmer's impact was unquestionable as the Blues completed the set in Europe after coming from behind to claim an historic win in Wroclaw
It is in difficult moments when the best players prove their quality. For so much of this match, it was all about one of football's European greats.
And yet, ultimately, it was Cole Palmer who stepped up to steal the show and prove his worth as he wrote another chapter in Chelsea 's glorious history. Palmer turned the game on its head with a magical intervention to turn the game completely on its head with two wonderful assists in five second half minutes for Enzo Fernandez and then Nicolas Jackson.
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Up until then, Real Betis captain Isco, 33, the five-time Champions League winner, had dominated and run the game. But it was Palmer who had seen enough, battled and took the game by the scruff of its neck.
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From 1-0 down at half time, Chelsea overwhelmed Real Betis to win the Conference League and become the first team to complete a full set of major European trophies. It is their ninth major European trophy and the first under co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali who are finally beginning to see their vast investment begin to pay off.
It also felt like vindication for Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca who, after spending the week taking post shots at his critics, is also delivering. Maresca is a hard guy to love, the Chelsea fans are still not sure and yet he has now clinched Champions League football and a European trophy in the space of four days.
The Chelsea hierarchy were all there on the pitch celebrating another trophy but they will know that Palmer is their jewel in the crown. When Palmer plays, Chelsea play. When Palmer is off the boil, Chelsea struggle. It really is that simple. But this was a night when Palmer saw the chance of glory slipping away - and he just seized the moment.
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That is what quality players are all about. The Conference League trophy is by no means the biggest or the best. But winning is infectious. It has served Chelsea well for 20 years and now this generation have their hands on their first piece of silverware in four years. No wonder the Chelsea fans were chanting: 'We've won it all' by the end with their typical arrogance.
They were outnumbered in the stadium by the Real Betis fans who had come with the dream of winning their first major European trophy. And for a while, it looked possible.
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It was Malo Gusto who gave the ball away, Isco bought himself time and space before teeing up Abde Ezzalzouli who controlled the ball with his right foot before burying it past Filip Jorgensen with a left foot shot into the bottom corner.
It was all Real Betis before Maresca hauled off Gusto at half time and brought on Reece James. The tide began to turn. First, Palmer's wonderful, teasing deep cross found Fernandez who ghosted onto the ball before glancing a perfect header into the bottom corner.
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Palmer was not done yet. You could see he was now in the mood. He jinked, teased and dribbled his way down the right and then put over a near post cross and Jackson deflected it into the net off his chest. It did not matter. They all count.
Chelsea substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall helped set up Jadon Sancho to smash home a third and yet still the Blues were not finished in what rapidly turned into a demolition job. It could be Sancho's last game for the club - and what a way to go.
Moises Caicedo, Chelsea's midfield kingpin and best player this season, smashed home a fourth to leave the fans in blue behind the goal celebrating yet more European success. Trophies and success are often infectious and Maresca has helped Chelsea get the winning bug back again.