According to a report by The Chelsea Chronicle on Sunday, 1 November 2026, Joe Cole has admitted that he underestimated Morgan Rogers after the Chelsea forward delivered another impressive performance in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The former Chelsea winger acknowledged that he had not fully appreciated Rogers' quality following his British-record £117 million move to West London.

Rogers opened the scoring against Manchester United with an outstanding individual effort, showing his strength, composure and technical ability to get past the opposition defence before chipping the ball into the net.

The England international has now registered 10 goals and assists in his first 12 appearances for Chelsea, underlining his immediate impact since arriving at the club.

His record places him among an exclusive group of Chelsea players to reach 10 goal contributions within their first 12 appearances.

Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard also achieved the milestone, recording nine, 10 and 11 goal contributions respectively.

Cole, speaking on TNT Sports after watching Chelsea's victory, admitted that his initial assessment of Rogers had been wrong.

"I'm guilty of not realising how good a player he is. He is a top player," Cole said.

He added: "You see the performance today, the goal, he shrugs people aside. His strength, his ability, his quality, he's a fantastic footballer."

Rogers' influence has extended beyond his goals and assists, with the midfielder increasingly taking responsibility in Chelsea's attacking play under Xabi Alonso.

His contribution has become particularly important given the club's current injury problems, with Emi Martinez, Reece James, Maxence Lacroix and Joao Pedro among the players unavailable.

Cole enjoyed a successful spell at Stamford Bridge, making 282 appearances and contributing to 86 goals while winning three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a League Cup.

However, Rogers is building an impressive record of his own and has quickly established himself as one of Chelsea's most influential attacking players.