William Gallas has named the one Chelsea star who must ‘work harder’ after being figured out by opponents in the second half of the season.
The Blues travel to Fulham on Sunday for a west London derby as they attempt to get back to winning ways under head coach Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea’s players were booed off the pitch in their last match after losing at home to Legia Warsaw in their Conference League second leg meeting.
The west Londoners have only registered one victory across their last four fixtures in all competitions, drawing their last two Premier League games.
Ahead of this weekend’s battle at Craven Cottage, Gallas has fired a message to Chelsea’s struggling attacking midfielder Cole Palmer.
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The Englishman has gone 10 top-flight games without registering a goal following his impressive form in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign.
Gallas believes Premier League defenders have figured Palmer out as he told Slingo: ‘Everyone has put too much pressure on Cole Palmer.
‘People were calling him the best player in England. Unfortunately, he hasn’t scored since January.
‘[He] hasn’t had the same impact in games recently. [But] he’s only 22-years-old, we all need to leave him alone.
‘Palmer knows everyone is waiting for him to reach the standard he set, but it can be difficult because some different factors could be affecting him.
‘Opponents know how he plays now, he doesn’t get the opportunities to score or assist goals now because defenders know not to give him the time on the ball.
‘Palmer now needs to work harder on creating a solution to get back to scoring goals.’
Gallas has also revealed his prediction for this weekend’s west London derby, feeling that his old club may struggle to pick up all three points.
‘With the history of Chelsea, they must always beat them,’ Gallas said about the match.
‘But Fulham are doing very well at the moment, so I’m predicting it will be a draw.
‘I want Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League but I’ll say they’ll draw. But I think they have to win.’
Fulham secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea when the two sides met on Boxing Day in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Palmer fired the Blues ahead at Stamford Bridge but Fulham levelled it up via Harry Wilson before Rodrigo Muniz netted a 95th-minute winner.