There is no escaping that this has been another dismal season for Chelsea Football Club.
Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to create a winning team out of his incredibly talented but young squad, and as a result, he has seriously struggled in the Premier League.
That said, there have been a couple of bright spots in the Blues' campaign, notably their Cup runs and the emergence of Cole Palmer.
The young Englishman has been a revelation in west London this year, although a former Chelsea ace is outscoring him away from England.
Cole Palmer's performance this season
Since completing his £42.5m move from Manchester City in the summer, Palmer has been a man-possessed for the Blues and looks every bit the superstar Todd Boehly and Co were hoping he'd be.
1
Cole Palmer
14
12
2
Nicolas Jackson
12
4
3
Raheem Sterling
8
10
4
Enzo Fernández
7
3
5
Mykhaylo Mudryk
6
3
In just 34 games for the Pensioners, the Wythenshawe-born gem has scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists, meaning that in his first full season of regular first-team football, the former City prospect is averaging a goal involvement every 1.3 games, which is simply remarkable.
He isn't scoring meaningless goals in 3-0 drubbings or consolation goals in defeats, either; he's having a material impact on essential matches.
For example, he scored the opening goal in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal, netted twice in their 3-2 away win over Luton Town, found the equaliser at home against City, and, most recently in the league, scored and assisted against Newcastle United.
His impact at Stamford Bridge has been undeniable, and as talent scout Jacek Kulig argues, he's already become one of the team's key "leaders" at just 21, so it's quite surprising that a former Chelsea striker is currently outscoring him away from London.
Michy Batshuayi's performances after leaving Chelsea
Yes, the former Chelsea ace in question is Belgium international Michy Batshuayi, who, after spending six years bouncing between the Bridge and various loan clubs, secured a permanent move away to Turkish Süper Lig outfit Fenerbahçe in September 2022 for a fee of around €3.5m, or £3m.
In his first season with Sari Kanaryalar, the Brussels-born forward had to contend with three separate injuries that saw him miss 12 games and spend 54 days on the sidelines, which could be long enough to disrupt and ruin many players' entire campaign, but not for the former Chelsea man.
Despite playing just 32 games throughout the year, the 6 foot 1 marksman still managed to score 20 goals, provide two assists, and play a key role in Fenerbahçe's Turkish Cup triumph.
Appearances
32
36
Goals
20
21
Assists
2
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.68
0.66
So, in his first year with the Turkish giants, he averaged a goal involvement every 1.45 games and lifted a major trophy, making his £3m price tag look like a steal.
Fortunately, the "deadly" marksman, as journalist Josh Bunting dubbed him, has remained injury-free this season and has already scored 21 goals and provided three assists in 36 appearances, alongside getting some kickboxing practice (video below), it would seem.
Ultimately, Chelsea's decision to sell Batshuayi in 2022 might have made sense at the time, but given how well he has performed for one of the biggest clubs in Turkey, it would've been interesting to see what Pochettino could've got out of him.