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Cole Palmer is following a familiar path to Eden Hazard at Chelsea, with the two attacking stars sharing remarkable similarities despite arriving at Stamford Bridge in different generations.
According to a report by Football London on Thursday, November 5, 2026, both players developed special connections with Chelsea after joining the club during difficult periods in its history.
The comparison comes after Palmer scored his 50th Premier League goal for Chelsea during their 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
Hazard joined Chelsea in 2012 after establishing himself as one of Europe's brightest young talents at Lille, where he won the Ligue 1 Player of the Season award.
The Belgian quickly became an important figure at Stamford Bridge, impressing with his dribbling, creativity and ability to influence matches.
After initially wearing the number 17 shirt, he was handed Chelsea's iconic number 10 ahead of the 2014/15 campaign.
Despite attracting interest from clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, Hazard remained an influential figure at Chelsea until his departure in 2019.
Palmer's arrival in 2023 followed a similar pattern. Chelsea were struggling after finishing 12th in the Premier League, while the Englishman was looking for regular first-team opportunities after finding it difficult to establish himself at Manchester City.
He quickly became one of Chelsea's most important players, producing goals, assists and match-winning performances.
Like Hazard, Palmer also moved into the number 10 shirt after initially wearing number 20.
His latest milestone against Manchester United further strengthened his growing legacy at Stamford Bridge.
Although their careers have followed different paths, both players arrived when Chelsea needed inspiration and quickly became central to the club's attacking identity.
While Hazard's Chelsea story has reached its conclusion, Palmer still has plenty of chapters to write as he continues to build his reputation among the club's greatest number 10s.