“I Chose the Other Ones” – Pep Guardiola Justifies Not Giving Cole Palmer Enough Minutes at Manchester City

“Yes, I just try to do that every game”, said Cole Palmer. This was in response to a question if the youngster wanted to show Pep Guardiola what he missed out on. Players leaving Man City usually find it hard to replicate the same success. Case in point, Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Zinchenko. However, Palmer has been an exception. The left-footed attacking midfielder has been Chelsea’s standout performer this season with 10 goals & 6 assists in the EPL! Yet, Guardiola doesn’t seem to regret losing the English sensation at all! The reason is 3 other standout players.

In a recent presser, Pep Guardiola was asked about the Cole Palmer situation. He said, “He (Palmer) won more minutes than he got last season, you know. I understand completely so when a player like he get that minutes, that I didn’t give to him for the reasons and everybody knows, it’s just for the other players.” And, as per Pep, the other players are Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Riyadh Mahrez. He explained why he couldn’t give Palmer the minutes he needed, “Because Bernardo, Riyad, Phil. It was that in that moment, I chose the other ones.”

Last season, it was in the final stretch that Man City managed to overtake Arsenal to the league title. A staggering statistic suggested that the Sky Blues were behind Arsenal for 248 days! Hence, it is understandable why Pep Guardiola preferred the experience of Silva, Mahrez, and Foden. However, he is well aware of Palmer’s quality. The Spaniard explained, “It’s not just goals & assists. It’s the quality and we knew it. So it’s an incredible threat for Chelsea.” And it looks like the now-Chelsea attacker wants to use his ‘threat‘ for retribution.

Cole Palmer’s abrupt ending with Pep Guardiola & Co.

The 21-year-old recently revealed his plan to show his former boss what he’s capable of. For Palmer, leaving the club he played for as an 8-year-old was not something he had planned. However, in 3 years with City’s senior team, he made just 19 league appearances. Despite this, Palmer was initially looking at a 1-year loan. However, Man City’s decision meant that he had to part ways.

Read More: “He’s Like a Knife” – Pep Guardiola Goes Gaga Over Phil Foden’s Hattrick in Brentford vs. Manchester City

Hence, his fire and desire for a sort of payback is understandable. Notably, in the previous encounter against Pep Guardiola’s side, it was Palmer who scored the decisive 95th-minute penalty that leveled the game. His performances have earned him a Lionel Messi comparison! For Chelsea, to get a result against the champions, they will need the 21-year-old at his best.

Will the sale of Cole Palmer come back to bite Pep Guardiola & Co.? Tell us in the comments below.

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