“He is so overrated!” – Cole Palmer having better stats than Bukayo Saka in just 19 minutes of playing time has fans questioning Arsenal star’s credibility

Cole Palmer might just be the missing piece in the puzzle for Gareth Southgate's side.

“He is so overrated!” – Cole Palmer having better stats than Bukayo Saka in just 19 minutes of playing time has fans questioning Arsenal star’s credibility

Palmer had more shots in 19 minutes than Saka who played 3 games for England! (Via IMAGO)

Bukayo Saka has started every single game for Gareth Southagte‘s side at the 2024 Euros in Germany. Despite having an ‘assured’ spot in the starting XI, the 22-year-old failed to hit the target in all three of his appearances.

With his inclusion in the squad already being questioned, things were made worse when Cole Palmer came on for Saka in the last 19 minutes against Slovenia. What caught the attention of fans the most was the fact that Saka failed to manage a single shot on target at the Euros in three outings.

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In contrast to Saka, it took Palmer just 19 minutes to do the same. The forward threatened the opposition with dangerous passes into the area and by conducting the game with hold-up play alongside his teammates.

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England have struggled for the end-product at the Euros, and following Palmer’s 19-minute display, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chelsea man grabs a start over Saka in the knockouts. Following the game, fans have been begging Gareth Southgate to start Palmer and switch things up for the knockouts. England managed to force just one goalkeeper save throughout the 90 minutes.

Fans react to Cole Palmer equaling Bukayo Saka’s stats in 19 minutes

It is difficult to believe that Arsenal’s main man was outperformed by Cole Palmer in just 19 minutes. A fan hoped that Southgate finally saw the light and started mixing up his approach while finalizing his XI. Fans immediately started calling Saka overrated and claimed that he was not on the same level as Palmer.

Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer was threatening from the very start of his debut against Slovenia (Via X/@England)

However, others weren’t convinced that Palmer was the one to start up front moving forward. A fan joked that Palmer deserved the ‘shots of target d’Or’ and ‘bench d’Or’ rather than an actual start for England. Others praised Palmer for his fearlessness and ability to take on players without fear of losing the ball. A few felt that fans were exaggerating a mediocre performance by the 22-year-old.

Some even appeared to agree with Arsenal legend Ian Wright‘s wild solution of playing Bukayo Saka at left-back to accommodate Palmer up front. It was funny to some that England’s best players – Palmer & Kobbie Mainoo were left on the bench for the majority of the tournament. His 100% passing accuracy and shot on target made him England’s most promising player in attack for many. Southgate however, is yet to find a winning formula for his side at the Euros.

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