It was somehow fitting that a player with the nickname ‘Cold’ would bring up a Premier League penalty scoring record with a nerveless Panenka straight down the middle of the goal. This is Cole Palmer we’re talking about and Cole Palmer is an extraordinary footballer in just about any way you can imagine.
The 22-year-old is already stablished as one of the best players in the land, and while he hasn’t broken many records yet – that’s hard to do when you’re only 22, one landmark has now fallen to the Chelsea forward. Palmer has taken 12 Premier League penalties and scored the lot – that’s the longest 100% conversion rate in the competition’s history.
On the Spot
What is fascinating about Palmer’s run is that the xG of a penalty is 0.79, which means that – historically – there’s a 79% likelihood of a spot kick being scored. Amateur mathematicians will know that means there’s a 21% chance of a penalty being missed then, which showcases how remarkable Palmer’s scoring run from the spot has been.
He rounded out his dozen by notching a brace of penalties against Tottenham on December 8. The first was a classic side-foot finish into the bottom left-hand corner, which sent Spurs keeper Faser Forster the wrong way. The second, with the game still in the balance at 3-2 to Chelsea, was befitting a man of the ‘Cold’ moniker – a chipped Panenka, with outstanding disguise, that put Forster on the ground and the ball in the back of the net.
“Coolness PERSONIFIED” 🥶
Cole Palmer with a Panenka penalty to put the game beyond all doubt! pic.twitter.com/JE96MpFUrr
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2024
Those were the 11th and 12th successful spot kicks of Palmer’s impeccable run, which began back on October 7, 2023, against Burnley. Despite being a new signing for Chelsea, Palmer was entrusted with the ball after the Clarets gave away a penalty. He made no mistake, cooly slotting home his first goal for the Blues.
Arsenal Clash
His second would come later that month in a clash with Arsenal, after VAR had intervened to confirm William Saliba had handled the ball. This time, Palmer scored in the other corner of the net from Burnley, sending David Raya the wrong way. Tottenham were once again on the receiving end of a successful Palmer spot kick in November 2023, while the very next Premier League gameweek saw the former Manchester City man net against his old club from 12 yards.
“I might as well try it”
As 2024 was sworn in, so were more penalties for the left-footed ace. Fulham and Burnley were the victims in January and March respectively; the latter again a cheeky Panenka. Palmer explained why he chose to chip the ball in his own inimitable fashion:
The day before I said I was going to chip it and all of the players were like, ‘Nah, you’re not going to.’ And I told my dad who was like, ‘Shut up man, you’re not. You’re not going to do it.
When the penalty got given I thought, ‘I’m going to have to chip it because I told everyone I was going to chip it.’ Then I thought I might as well try it.
A titanic clash with Manchester United in April 2024 saw Palmer score a hat-trick – two of which came from the penalty spot. Both were placed to Andre Onana’s right, with the keeper having no chance of saving either.
That very same month, Chelsea hit the back pages when they won a spot kick in a 6-0 drubbing of Everton. Both Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson wanted to take it, before Thiago Silva and Conor Gallagher intervened to nominate Palmer as the taker. However, Madueke refused to hand over the ball… leaving then Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino to remark of his ‘disappointment’ at the episode.
Palmer Racks up Penalties
In the end, the ball finally found its way to Palmer, and he kept his cool following the kerfuffle to net from the spot once more. As of December 8, 2024, the 22-year-old had scored three Premier League penalties for Chelsea during the 2024/25 campaign, including that delightful double against their London rivals Tottenham.
Of the dozen, Palmer has struck half of his penalties in the bottom right-hand corner, three into the bottom left, one into the top left-hand corner and three slap bang down the middle. No pattern then, which makes it all the more difficult for the goalkeeper to predict where he’s going to shoot. How long will his unbeaten run as the Premier League penalty king go on for?
The Longest 12 Yards
Palmer still has some way to go before he catches up with Harry Kane, the Premier League’s all-time penalty prince. He notched 33 in all for Tottenham, however misses punctuated the goals – hence why he was unable to put together a scoring streak that rivalled Palmer’s 12-0.
Matt Le Tisier
A special word of praise has to go to Southampton legend, Matt Le Tissier. He scored 25 of the 26 spot kicks he took in the Premier League, which equates to a marvellous conversion rate of 96.2%. That’s the best ratio of any player that has scored 15+ penalties in the EPL.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has been Europe’s man on the spot in the modern era. Between August 2015 and February 2018, he scored 31 penalties in a row in all competitions, highlighting how far Palmer still has to go. We should sign off this article by mentioning a footballer that many readers won’t even have heard of.
Ledio Pano
Ledio Pano had a fairly unremarkable career in Greece and his native Albania. But he hung up his boots as the proud owner of a record that may never be beaten in the professional game. He took 50 penalties, and scored every single one. When anybody asks you to nominate the best penalty taker in history, you’ll know that Ledio Pano is the man that can from 12 yards.
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