JAKARTA - Cole Palmer said the Chelsea captain's post has been long awaited after he was given the armband for the first time in a crushing victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
With Reece James out with a hamstring injury and club vice-captain Enzo Fernandez suspended by the club internally for flirting with Real Madrid, the England international led the Blues as they paved the way to Wembley by thrashing the League One side 7-0 at Stamford Bridge.
The result brought back calm to Stamford Bridge after four consecutive defeats.
The match ended in the first half after early goals from Jorrel Hato and Joao Pedro before Palmer forced Vale to score an own goal to take a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, and Estevao added goals after the break as Chelsea increased their goal tally, then Alejandro Garnacho compounded matters with a penalty in injury time.
"It's been a long time coming. It was a proud moment to be captain. I enjoyed it and it was a nice afternoon."
"We need to win. The four games were difficult, but reaching the semi-final at Wembley was very important," Palmer said of Liam Rosenior's decision to make him captain on the day.
Avoiding humiliation in the FA Cup against third-tier minnows brought Rosenior great relief after what he described as the hardest 10 days of his career before the international break.
Chelsea suffered their heaviest aggregate defeat in Europe as Paris Saint-Germain humiliated them 8-2. Meanwhile, back-to-back defeats in the English League against Newcastle and Everton have damaged their chances of returning to the Champions League.
The atmosphere in west London was bitter when the team last played at home - a 0-3 defeat to PSG - and Rosenior took no risks against Vale by fielding almost his best 11 available.
There are also pleasing sights of seven different goal scorers as the Blues prepare for the match at Wembley in late April 2026.
"It's nice to see everyone involved (with the goal) and laughing, joking, and smiling after the game. I think it will give everyone a boost."
"Playing, winning, and scoring goals is good for everyone. It's nice to feel the victory again and hopefully we can bring that spirit to Manchester City (in the league)," said Palmer.
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