Gary Neville Slams Maresca: “Benching Cole Palmer Is Managerial Malpractice”
Chelsea’s dramatic 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City should have been about grit, comebacks, and survival. Instead, the post-match spotlight belongs to Gary Neville, who lit up his podcast The Overlap with an explosive rant aimed squarely at Enzo Maresca’s decision to leave Cole Palmer out of the side.
“I just don’t understand why they’re benching him,” Neville raged. “If Chelsea don’t want him, let him go to Man City—they’ll show you the magic! Palmer’s the heartbeat of that attack, and parking him on the bench against League One minnows? It’s like leaving your Ferrari in the garage for a Sunday drive.”
Neville’s words hit like dynamite, sparking a storm across social media. Within hours, #FreePalmer was trending worldwide, with over 250,000 posts demanding the 23-year-old’s immediate return to Chelsea’s starting XI.
Palmer missed the Lincoln tie with a groin strain picked up against Manchester United, but fans weren’t buying the caution. Without him, Chelsea were lifeless in the first half—no shots on target, carved open by Lincoln’s long-throw chaos, and lucky not to trail by more than Rob Street’s opener. Second-half goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Facundo Buonanotte saved the night, but Neville argued Palmer’s absence told a bigger story.
“Palmer’s not just one of Chelsea’s best—he is their best,” he thundered. “City let him go because they had Haaland and Alvarez. At Chelsea, he’s carrying the torch, and Maresca’s dimming it. If he doesn’t start him against Brighton, the alarm bells will ring.”
Palmer’s numbers back the claim: four goals and six assists in seven league matches this season, including a brace against Tottenham and a match-winning free-kick against Arsenal. To bench a player in that kind of form, Neville suggested, risked morale, rhythm, and Chelsea’s fragile resurgence.
The City link only added fuel. Neville painted the picture: Palmer reunited with Guardiola, pulling strings alongside Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku, supplying Erling Haaland. “Chelsea would regret it for years—£40m bargain turns into a £150m nightmare,” he warned.
Inside Chelsea, Maresca defended his decision. “Cole’s our star, no doubt,” he told reporters. “But groin injuries linger. Tonight was about managing minutes and testing depth.” Teammates like Noni Madueke backed him publicly—“Enzo’s vision is clear. CP back soon, stronger 💙”—but whispers of Palmer’s frustration have already surfaced.
For Neville, though, this isn’t about minutes. It’s about identity. “Chelsea can’t afford to dim the lights on their brightest player,” he insisted.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With Wesley Fofana injured again, a Champions League humbling by Bayern fresh in memory, and a fourth-round Carabao Cup tie looming against heavyweights, Chelsea can’t afford another public firestorm. But that’s exactly what they have.
Now the question hangs heavy: is Palmer truly untouchable, or is Maresca gambling with his star man’s trust?
If the answer is the latter, Neville’s prophecy cuts deepest: City’s door will always be open.
