Chelsea 3-2 Newcastle: Will the “classy” Cole Palmer be forced to join the England squad for Euro 2024?

While Chelsea endured another largely forgettable season in which they were stranded in mid-table, Cole Palmer has proven he has reached maturity.

The 21-year-old, who left Manchester City to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, scored one goal and set up another in the Blues' 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday.

He now has 19 goal contributions in the 2023-24 season, and has scored and assisted in five different league games this season, more than any other player in the Premier League.

Gareth Southgate watched from the stands as Palmer produced a man-of-the-match display to inspire his side's win over Newcastle – but has the England manager seen enough to include him in his squad for this summer's European Championship?

“He's perfect for all types of football, but certainly international football where you need real level and composure in the final third,” former England defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

“I always think the best players run with their heads up so they can fire it up at the right moment – ​​they always seem to have time in the toughest area of ​​the pitch, where it's the most exciting.

“Palmer is very precise in his work for someone so young. I always think of younger wingers who are inconsistent in their early years but he is not. He is first-class.”

However, Palmer is happy to be part of the English conversation having only made his debut for the Three Lions in November, winning his first two caps.

“If you were talking at the beginning of the season that I would have a chance to go to the European Championships, I would not have believed you because of the situation I was in,” he said.

“I'm not really looking forward to it. We'll see what happens in the summer.”

Whatever happens in the summer, there is no doubt about Palmer's impact on Chelsea's season, as he has registered more goals and assists than any other player in the squad.

While his current club continues to struggle for consistency, his former side are gunning for another treble, including an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title.

“He's been Chelsea's best player this season by a long, long way,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. “The thing I like about Palmer is not just his ability and what he has shown this season, but to make this step as a home-grown player.

“Going from Manchester City, the best team in Europe at the moment, to a Chelsea project where you're not quite sure what's going to happen yet – I admire it.”

Neville suggested Palmer could still have been a “real asset” for City, despite only starting three league games for his boyhood club, but the Chelsea striker said the move had “paid off”.

He said: “I just wanted to show what I can do. It was a very difficult decision to leave City – I had been there since I was six years old.”

“I was ready to play football, I had a conversation with my family, I had a conversation with the club and I moved to Chelsea.”