Mauricio Pochettino has defended Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s rising star, after some significant mistakes by the midfielder against Aston Villa.

The Blues were held to a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round, setting up a replay in early February.

Despite playing well, West London’s team missed several significant opportunities, notably from Palmer and Noni Madueke. However, coach Pochettino protected his player by using an interesting comparison to Messi, while revealing Palmer’s best position.

When asked about Palmer not scoring against Villa, the Argentine manager said, “No, I think he cannot score in every game. If he did, we might not call him Cole Palmer, but maybe we’d call him Leo Messi.”

Pochettino added, “Palmer is a player who can play in various positions, and you can see and feel that we never talk about his performance because he always plays very well. It’s just that sometimes he scores or doesn’t score, but Palmer always finds excellent opportunities in the game.”

Setting aside comparisons to Messi, Palmer is considered Chelsea’s best player this season since his move from Manchester City for £42.5 million last summer. The 21-year-old has scored 11 goals and provided 7 assists for Chelsea. The English international has dispelled any doubts about his value and has shone at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will hope Palmer maintains his form as they are set to face the Premier League leaders, Liverpool, away from home. Following that, they will clash with Wolves at home. The replay of Chelsea against Villa is likely to take place before their away fixture against Crystal Palace on February 12.