Go back less than a year and Cole Palmer seemed destined for a loan. Instead, he is now heading for Euro 2024, perhaps the breakout star of the club season with a first international goal to his name as well. As Burnley and Brighton, two of the clubs who wanted to borrow him last summer, may reflect, much has changed since then. Chelsea’s player of the season, a man Manchester City may rue selling, has 28 goals, in the shirts of two clubs and now his country.
He has scored in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Community Shield, the European Super Cup and now for England. If the caveat that his maiden strike in his country’s colours was from the penalty spot, plenty of his goals are, but whatever the stage, they seem taken with nonchalant confidence.
A friendly win over Bosnia and Herzegovina may cement Palmer’s place in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad; not merely for his penalty-taking prowess – though that could prove handy in Germany – but a performance where he had come to look England’s likeliest source of a goal even before he scored one. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane added more as Bosnia and Herzegovina were beaten; the Liverpool vice-captain with a classy volley, the England captain with a predatory finish. An illustration of Alexander-Arnold’s quality may be timely, a reminder of Kane’s ability to pilfer goals needless.
But Palmer took a bigger step forward than either. His first England start brought his maiden goal. In a season where he has suffered few setbacks, missing March’s two internationals because of injury was one. He made up for lost time on his return; indeed, a player with a sense of timing scored with his final kick of the ball before being substituted. His spot kick was rifled in.
There is one minor impediment to Palmer’s chances of adopting a starring role in Euro 2024. He goes by the name of Jude Bellingham. His third cap came as a No 10, though Palmer may also end up understudying Bukayo Saka on the right flank. That England have a surfeit of stellar talents means even his meteoric rise may not propel him into the starting 11 just yet.
But he showed a roving elusiveness, a capacity to pop up unmarked, that boded well. In England’s first game at St James’ Park since 2005, they brought Cole to Newcastle and he brought a goal. It came with the aid of Ezri Konsa, who was tugged back by Nikola Katic for a penalty the referee awarded after reviewing the incident on a monitor.
It was a sign of the threat the Aston Villa defender offered at corners. He had a first-half shot blocked by goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. His movement provided a menace. Given England’s set-piece success in tournaments under Southgate before, it may be auspicious. The initial shortage of cohesion and intensity, however, may not.
But there were mitigating circumstances. With Southgate without his FA Cup final and injured contingents, plus Bellingham, this was essentially a second-string 11. Perhaps only Jordan Pickford and Kieran Trippier will begin against Serbia in 13 days’ time.
And Trippier, captaining England at a ground where he often leads Newcastle, was standing in as a left-back. It deprived England of some width in the final third. Eberechi Eze began ahead of him, another making his first start and showing some fine touches.
But after the boldness of picking five uncapped players in his squad, Southgate showed some conservatism by benching all. Yet with six starters each having under 10 caps, it still amounted to an inexperienced side. There were debuts later for Jarrad Branthwaite and Adam Wharton, part of the reshuffle after an hour.
Before then, Marc Guehi’s tendency to pick out Bosnian players with his passes scarcely inspired confidence. After his own erratic displays in March, Lewis Dunk could be relieved he was not the struggling centre-back.
Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher got a run-out in the deepest role in midfield; as Southgate has admitted they are over-reliant on Declan Rice, it pointed to the Chelsea player being a potential deputy. Alexander-Arnold played alongside him, meanwhile. He was involved in the first chance of note when Ollie Watkins had a shot on the turn saved after penetrating passes from the Merseysider and Palmer.
Yet Alexander-Arnold’s goal came after he had reverted to right-back when Trippier went off. Changes perked England up, though they had shown more urgency after the restart. Alexander-Arnold volleyed into the far corner after a deep cross from Jack Grealish, a lively substitute.
Kane came off the bench to complete the scoring from close range after Jarrod Bowen’s shot was blocked by Konsa – this time his ubiquity in the penalty box costing a team. A 63rd international goal for Kane was a sign of how familiar they are. But for Palmer, a first may have more significance.
