England booked their place in the final of Euro 2024 in dramatic circumstances last night, and have plenty of thanks to give to one Chelsea man.
Cole Palmer is still yet to start a game at this competition, however came off the bench last night to set up Ollie Watkins for the winning goal against the Netherlands.
The assist saw him move above the likes of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden for their tallies in the competition, despite the fact that he has played far less minutes than either of them so far.
With it being Palmer and Conor Gallagher against Marc Cucurella and Spain for the trophy on Sunday, Chelsea will be guaranteed to have at least one European Champion returning before the start of next season.
The referee has already been appointed for the game, with France’s Francois Letexier being announced as the official who will lead the match.
![Referee Francois Letexier shows a red card to Ben Chilwell of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal first leg match between Real ...](https://cdn1.thechelseachronicle.com/uploads/17/2024/07/GettyImages-1251757937.jpg)
England handed referee who sent off Ben Chilwell
While the name may not ring immediate bells to Chelsea fans, an infamous incident just over a year ago saw him have a run in with one of the Blues’ English contingent.
In the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, the referee sent off Ben Chilwell for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving the mountain they already had to climb in that tie even higher.
The Blues under Frank Lampard were partaking in their last chance to qualify for any form of European football, however that may well have been deemed as a blessing in disguise for Mauricio Pochettino for the following campaign.
His squad were hit with so many injuries without the extra fixtures, and Chilwell was one of those who really struggled to keep fit as the campaign went on.
With Reece James’ absence too, the armband frequently went to Gallagher last season, a player who has less than a year left on his current deal.
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