Manchester City faces Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals this evening, with Pep Guardiola forced to drop Cole Palmer following another poor performance last time out.
It was hoped that the 20-year-old academy graduate would be able to emulate Phil Foden by making an immediate impact on the first team as a teenager, but Palmer has done little in his senior games to suggest that he has a bright future with the Citizens.
Since breaking into the senior squad, the winger has made 28 appearances, scoring three goals and assisting one, all of which came last season.
Palmer was expected to go on and play a bigger role in 2022/23, especially with the departure of fellow left-winger Raheem Sterling in the summer, but he has yet to score or assist in 15 first-team outings.
His performances in the Premier League 2 last season, where he managed eight goals and four assists in just eight appearances, highlight that he is far too good to be playing youth football, but he also doesn’t appear ready to be a regular in Guardiola’s side just yet and could benefit from a loan away from the club.
Palmer was given a rare start against Chelsea in the FA Cup last weekend, but despite City’s full dominance in the 4-0 win, Palmer was a letdown.
According to Sofascore, the kid received a dismal 6.0/10 rating for his performance, comfortably ranking him as the poorest City player on the day.
Guardiola handed Palmer 90 minutes but he failed with all four of his dribble attempts, missed one big chance, and lost possession 19 times in what was an extremely under-par display.
With City having struggled against Southampton in recent seasons, failing to beat them home or away in the Premier League last season, Guardiola should pick a strong side for the game on the south coast this evening, and that means dropping Palmer from the starting XI.
While Paul Dickov was full of praise for Palmer’s “outstanding” performance against Swindon in the FA Cup last season, if the 20-year-old doesn’t start producing more against tougher opposition, it may not be long until we see him leave the Etihad for good.
