Cole Palmer reveals one Chelsea team-mate has 'always been there for me' in tough times

Cole Palmer has opened up about the impact Chelseacolleague Tosin Adarabioyo has had on him during a challenging period at Stamford Bridge.

Last season, the 23-year-old attacker racked up an impressive 14 goals and six assists in just 21 Premier League matches. But his form dipped significantly after January 14, with only three assists and a solitary goal – that being from the penalty spotin a notable 3-1 win against Liverpool at home– in the final 17 matches of the Premier League campaign.

Although Palmer ended the season on a high with two assists in Chelsea's Europa Conference League final victory over Real Betis, the latter half of his campaign didn't live up to the high standards he had set.

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His performance drought extended to the Club World Cup as he failedto contribute directly to any goals in the first couple of encounters. He has since turned it around with an assist versus Benfica and an exquisite goal in the quarter-final against Palmeiras.

Post-match, Palmer acknowledged the toll of pressure, both on the football field and personally. He also revealed that Adarabioyo has been providing him with much-needed guidance with their connection stretching back to Palmer's early days as a promising prospect at Manchester City.

When reporters asked him why he sought out Adarabioyo during his celebration against Palmeiras, Palmer said: "That's my boy. Obviously, I've had a difficult time these past whatever months on and off the pitch.

"But he's always been there for me and he's helped me a lot. So, yeah, I just thought I'd go over to him."

Ahead of their round of 16 tie against Benfica, Adarabioyo leapt to Palmer's defence. He commented on Palmer's prominence in the US adverts for the Club World Cup, saying: "I've known Cole since he was a young boy so even me seeing him on those big banners makes me very, very proud.

"I think people do forget that he's still 22, 23 years of age and he's one of the faces of this tournament. Obviously his life has changed in the past two years.

"I banter him some time and tell him he's a little superstar. But yeah, he handles it very well. He knows his focus is brilliant on football. He loves playing football and that's Cole Palmer for you.

"You say he's receiving a lot of scrutiny. I don't think Cole really looks at that and us as team-mates aren't really looking at that.

"He performs at a very high level every time he steps on the pitch. So our job is not just to help Cole Palmer but every single player on the pitch perform as well as they can."

Chelsea will face Fluminese in the quest for a spot in the Club World Cup final on Tuesday, July 8. This marks their third encounter with a Brazilian club during the tournament in the USA, following a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo and a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras.

The Blues are set to be reunited with Fluminese central defender and Chelsea legend Thiago Silva, who clinched the Champions League title with the west Londoners.

The South American team has been one of the tournament's dark horses, having secured a draw against Borussia Dortmund, triumphed over Inter Milan and most recently ousted Al-Hilal, who were the side that knocked out Manchester City.