Enzo Maresca offers controversial explanation for Cole Palmer's Chelsea goal drought | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has denied his tactics are to blame for Cole Palmer's dry spell in front of goal.

The Blues' top scorer, who has 14 goals all competitions this season, has not found the back of the net in his last 16 games - a run dating back to January 14 and one which represents an enormous drop-off compared to last season's return of 27 goals.

Amid the growing frustration towards Maresca, many fans have accused the boss of stifling Palmer with a tactical setup which has failed to bring the best out of any of his forward players, but Maresca insists something else is behind Palmer's drought.

"For sure, it's mental," Maresca said. "I don't think it's tactical, I don't think it's technical, because Cole is still the same player that scored, this season with us, 14 goals in the Premier League in [the first] 20 games.

"Cole is the same one. The style of football we play is the same one. The manager is the same one. The club is the same one. So nothing changes around Cole and Cole doesn't change. It's just mentally in this moment.

"For sure, you can see that he is a little worried because he wants to help the team."

Maresca defends his use of Palmer / Ryan Pierse/GettyImages

Maresca went on to argue that those criticising his setup are forgetting the success it brought during the first half of the season, when Chelsea were seen as outside contenders for the Premier League title before their festive collapse.

"We try always to set up our game to put our best player in condition to be dangerous," Maresca continued. "We have done since we started. We are doing that every game. It's the same for Cole.

"If you go back game by game, he had at least, every game, one or two chances. So, it's not about how the team is playing.

"If you want to see it as the team playing a different way, you've seen it that way, but the reality is not that. The reality is that Cole is the same, the style of play is the same, the manager is the same, the club is the same.

"It's just football that, in this moment, he is missing the goal. No more than that."