West Ham’s Antonio: Rice Matches Chelsea’s Breakout Star Palmer
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio sees a tight race for the title of best Premier League signing this season, with both Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer making strong cases.
Cole Palmer: A Breakout Season at Chelsea
Cole Palmer, a young midfielder who joined Chelsea from Manchester City last summer, has enjoyed a phenomenal debut season at Stamford Bridge. He has been a bright spot throughout the year, even during a period when Chelsea found themselves stuck in mid-table. His impressive performance, with 22 goals and 10 assists in just 32 Premier League appearances, earned him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Season award alongside established stars like Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
Declan Rice: Arsenal’s Engine in Title Challenge
However, Michail Antonio believes another player on the shortlist deserves equal recognition. He highlights Arsenal’s Declan Rice, who has been a key figure in their title challenge. Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham last summer for a hefty £105 million and has been a mainstay in their midfield, starting in all but one of their Premier League games. His contributions have been instrumental in propelling the Gunners to a position where the Premier League title will be decided on the very last day of the season.
Michail Antonio Sees Merit in Both Players
While acknowledging the eye-catching goalscoring stats of Palmer, Michail Antonio emphasizes the importance of Rice’s role at Arsenal. He sees Rice’s influence as a major factor in Arsenal’s title aspirations, making it difficult to choose between the two players.
“Rice going to Arsenal has given them a great chance of winning the Premier League,” said Antonio on The Players Channel podcast. “He’s progressed them since last year, he’s made the difference.”
Michail Antonio also praises Palmer’s achievements, acknowledging the initial skepticism surrounding Chelsea’s decision to spend £40 million on a relatively unproven player. “Cole’s had an unbelievable season, what a player,” said Antonio.
With the season reaching its climax, Rice will be aiming to help Arsenal secure a win against Everton on Sunday. This victory would put the pressure firmly on Manchester City, who would then need to win their final game against West Ham to clinch the title. Meanwhile, Palmer and Chelsea will be focused on securing European football for next season with a home match against Bournemouth.
