Cole Palmer has named his toughest Premier League opponent.
The Chelsea forward did not hesitate when asked who had been the hardest to face in his career.
Palmer enjoyed a breakthrough season after joining the Blues last summer, scoring 25 goals and providing 15 assists for the club.
His performances were enough to see him win PFA Young Player of the Year.
He was also named England’s Men’s Player of the Year and ranked 25th in the Ballon d’or.
The 22-year-old’s form has continued so far this term with seven goals and five assists in nine Premier League appearances.
However, there is one player who Palmer believes is tougher to face than anyone else.
In a new video for Chelsea’s social media channels, Palmer didn’t hesitate when asked about his toughest rivals.
He immediately replied: “Van Dijk.”
Palmer has taken on Virgil van Dijk five times for Manchester City, Chelsea and England.
However, he has yet to score against the Dutch defender in those meetings.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool captain netted the winner in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley back in February.
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He was on the losing side in the summer, though, with Palmer coming off the bench in England’s semi-final victory over the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
Their most recent clash came at Anfield earlier this month, where Liverpool ran out 2-1 winners.
That defeat means Palmer will now have to wait until the end of the season to end his drought against Van Dijk.
The reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge is scheduled for matchday 35 on May 3.
