Despite some good moments, Chelsea are having a bad season, let’s face it.
We could yet win a trophy (Carabao Cup Final Tickets are still available, with the final this weekend) and could yet reach the same stage in the FA Cup.
But overall we haven’t seen the progress we wanted to see, there have been too many horrendous results and bad performances all round, and for most of the campaign it’s felt like last season.
But despite the bad times, there have been good games too, and there have certainly been some good performances along the way.
Unlike last year, where it felt like the Player of the Year award would go to someone who was simply “the least bad”, this year we’re had some Blues doing so well that they really would be worth winners.
Chief among all of them is of course Cole Palmer. Arriving on deadline day in the summer, he felt like a panic purchase after the deal for Michael Olise didn’t work out.
Another callow youngster with virtually no Premier League experience… it felt like the sporting directors would never learn. But Palmer has exploded almost since the moment he stepped onto the field for us, unleashing all of that talent that had been bottled up on the bench and in training when he was at Man City.
He’s the kind of player we love at Stamford Bridge – full of trick and skill and classy moments, but ultimately just someone who produces. He’s got 21 goals and assists combined in all competitions this season, as well as two for Man City before making the move.
That’s a ridiculous return for a player who is playing on the wing most of the time, and is really only playing his first Premier League season. His assists and ice cold penalties have won vital games, and he’s shown the composure so many of his fellow attackers lack.
In the course of half a season he forced his way into the Chelsea team, proved himself as a top Premier League player, and has all but guaranteed his place in the England squad for the Euros.
That’s pretty good going, and a pretty strong case to be our player of the season. Who knows what heights he could yet reach with plenty of the campaign left to play. If he were to score a winner on Sunday, you could call the race over already.