Cole Palmer has been accused of having an attitude problem after he was sent off in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday. Former Premier League stars Stan Collymore and Gabby Agbonlahor have both criticised the England international’s lack of discipline.

Palmer was sent off after receiving two yellow cards, with his first arguably worthy of a straight red for barging Mateus Fernandes to the ground. The Chelsea playmaker’s second booking came for a late challenge in which he stood on Conor Gallagher’s foot.

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Stan Collymore and Gabby Agbonlahor question Cole Palmer’s attitude

Stan Collymore and Gabby Agbonlahor have both questioned whether Cole Palmer is becoming “too big for his boots” following his dismissal against Tottenham.

Collymore, who admitted he enjoys watching the Chelsea star, shared his concerns on social media. He tweeted: “Palmer (one of my favourite players) is getting a little bit Billy big potatoes, isn’t he?”

The phrase refers to someone who has an inflated sense of their own importance. Collymore’s comments suggest he believes Palmer may be developing an attitude that does not match his performances on the pitch.

Agbonlahor shared similar thoughts on talkSPORT, arguing that Palmer’s frustration during a poor display against Spurs contributed to his dismissal.

“It’s the first [yellow] that killed him, and that wasn’t because of the foul; that was because he was having a poor game,” said the former Aston Villa forward. “Is he getting a bit too big for his boots, Cole Palmer? It sometimes looks like that to me when he’s playing. You did nothing [in the game] and you’ve lost your head during the game.”

Palmer is often portrayed as an ice-cold character who stays composed under pressure, making his loss of temper against Spurs particularly striking. However, the 24-year-old can occasionally let his emotions get the better of him.

That said, it was Palmer’s first red card of his professional career, so one incident should not necessarily define his character. Other Premier League stars have also been sent off this season, with Max Dowman dismissed for kicking out against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night and Phil Foden shown a red card earlier in the campaign for a similar incident involving Bruno Fernandes in the Manchester derby.

Cole Palmer has picked up cards more often this season

Palmer’s disciplinary record has become more concerning this season. He has picked up four cards in eight Premier League appearances in 2026/27, averaging 0.50 per game. That is more than twice his rate over the previous three seasons at Chelsea, when he collected 19 cards in 97 appearances.

However, the attacking midfielder has played only eight league games this season, so it is too early to draw firm conclusions. His red card against Tottenham is a concern, but another dismissal or a continued run of bookings every other game would make the trend harder to ignore.