Frank Lampard was encouraged by Chelsea despite their FA Cup semi-final defeat (Picture: BBC)
Frank Lampard hailed the performance of Cole Palmer after the Chelsea star shone against his former club, despite another bitter Wembley defeat.
The England international left his boyhood club in the summer in search of regular first team football having, according to Pep Guardiola, been asking to move for two years.
Palmer has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in England following a goal-laden campaign which sees him rivalling Erling Haaland for an unlikely Golden Boot.
The 21-year-old produced another spellbinding performance at Wembley but ended up on the losing team as City progressed to the final following Bernardo Silva’s late winner.
In spite of another bitter defeat, Lampard saw more encouraging signs from Mauricio Pochettino’s emerging side, especially in the display of Palmer.
He told the BBC: ‘They’ve put in some good performances against the top teams. They did it twice against Manchester City, they did it against Arsenal, they did it against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
‘There’s a good organisation and desire. Over the course of the season they’ve lacked consistency but today you can look at a good all round performance and see those little shoots of positive things and Cole Palmer has just strolled around this pitch and owned this game to a degree.
Cole Palmer shone against his former Manchester City teammates (Picture: Getty)
Cole Palmer was consoled by Pep Guardiola after defeat (Picture: Getty)
‘He’s the man who you want in front of goal because he was the one giving all the passes today. There were lots of positives today but in this situation the transitional sqauad they have let’s give them time and see if they get better.’
Lampard later added: ‘Cole Palmer came into a club that is in a difficult moment. Maybe it has worked well for him as it has made him stand out, but it is not easy to arrive with such confidence and quiet arrogance.
‘Today is another box ticked for him. Wembley, high pressure, against Man City, can you perform again at the high level? And he has just done it.
‘The fact he has hit the ground running so quickly is amazing and there is no telling how far he can go for Chelsea and England.’
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Fellow BBC pundit Alan Shearer echoed Lampard’s praise, saying: ‘Cole Palmer is the shining light of this Chelsea team, the hearbeat of the side. Everything good that happens, he is involved in it.
‘His technique, his attitude, his ability to find and execute a pass at the right time.
‘Mauricio Pochettino would have been desperate for one of those big, big chances to have fallen to Palmer rather than Nicolas Jackson because the outcome would have been different.
‘He just couldn’t find himself in those dangerous positions to get in on goal himself. He is here to stay, a top quality player.’
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