Palmer missed two straightforward one-on-one chances, seeing one saved by Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the other miss the target. They were two attempts amid seven shots in total, Palmer’s highest tally of the season, but his efforts to score were in vain.

Cole Palmer has moved to ease concerns over his bizarre loss of form, telling Chelsea fans: “Don’t worry - I’ll be back”. The Blues returned to winning ways with a 4-0 thrashing of Southampton on Tuesday night, with Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella all on the scoresheet.

Like Chelsea, it appears that Palmer is just going through a rough time. A slight change in system, partly due to injuries hasn’t helped. And the boy is just short of confidence. As they say, he just needs once to bounce in off him and he might be on the up again.