Palmer's Perfect Return Lights Up Chelsea's Napoli Masterclass

Liam Rosenior's LinkedIn inbox must be absolutely groaning. Four wins from five games, 13 goals rattled in, two clean sheets to boot – and now a 3-2 away victory against one of Europe's elite that books automatic passage to the Champions League knockout stages. The Chelsea boss will be fielding job offers from every corner of the internet by close of business.

That Napoli side, mind you, were a shadow of their usual selves. Antonio Conte pulled no punches beforehand, lamenting the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, David Neres, Billy Gilmour, and Matteo Politano among others. The Italian's assessment was brutal: "If the league started today, everyone would put Napoli between 8th and 10th place." Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Chelsea dominated the opening exchanges, probing methodically until they earned a penalty when Reece James' free-kick found an arm in the wall – one of those handball decisions that technically is a handball but leaves you wanting to throw your remote at the telly. Enzo Fernandez converted, and that's when Napoli suddenly remembered they had something to play for.

The trouble was Rosenior's team selection left Wesley Fofana desperately exposed at the back. Antonio Vergara turned him inside out for the equaliser – a stunning finish befitting his senior debut – before Rasmus Hojlund nipped in ahead of the Chelsea defender to prod home a low cross. Not the defensive masterclass anyone had envisioned, though Trevoh Chalobah's introduction at the hour mark, clearing at the front post, offered some respite.

The game shifted decisively when Cole Palmer arrived at the interval. Deployed on the right where he's done his best work in a Chelsea shirt, the Manchester United-linked playmaker proved absolutely instrumental. First, he threaded a perfectly weighted pass for Joao Pedro, who controlled beautifully before rifling a shot from the edge of the box past the goalkeeper and into the top corner – absolutely clinical finishing.

Pedro's second was every bit as composed. Palmer fed him another through ball, this time a gem of precision, and the forward slowed his breathing, turned his man, and slotted it away with the composure of a seasoned pro. That makes four goals in five games since Rosenior arrived – a remarkable turnaround for a player who'd become a concern under Enzo Maresca.

It's easy to dismiss this victory given Napoli's depleted squad and Conte's threadbare Champions League record, but that would be doing Rosenior a disservice. Winning in that stadium, particularly with a group still finding their feet under new management, represents genuine progress. The character and resilience he's been banging on about since taking over? It was on full display. This could prove a watershed moment for his tenure.