What Cole Palmer Told Jordan Henderson Before Stunning Free Kick As Chelsea Masterplan Revealed

Chelsea produced a five-star performance on Saturday afternoon as the Blues comprehensively beat a depleted Bournemouth side 5-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

Xabi Alonso almost had a full squad to choose from, except for club captain Reece James, who is currently nursing a knee injury. The Blues’ star midfielder, Moisés Caicedo, started his first match of the season and, with the scoreline comfortable, his minutes were managed, with him being withdrawn just after the 70th minute.

Both Cole Palmer and João Pedro were fresh off the back of three weeks off after not joining up with their respective national teams, and both were quick to resume where they left off. Palmer assisted Jordan Henderson in the opening minute, while João Pedro scored a second-half brace to secure all three points for the Blues. His two second-half goals took his overall goal-contribution tally to eight in just five Premier League matches.

Palmer wasn’t finished. Despite Chelsea having a comfortable lead, he carried the ball several yards to win a free kick deep into Bournemouth’s half. The free kick was slotted home by Henderson to put the west London side 5-1 up, and the pair had plenty to say about the moment after the match.

Speaking after the game, the 24-year-old, who recently committed his future at Stamford Bridge until 2034, explained that it was all pre-planned. He said: "Before he (Henderson) shot, I said, ‘Which corner flag are we running to when you put it in the top corner?’ Then we chose a corner flag, then he put it in the top corner, and then we ran there.”

Both Palmer and the veteran midfielder also revealed after the game that the newly appointed set-piece coach, Austin MacPhee, who joined from Aston Villa in the summer, was responsible for the free kick. It was something that both he and Henderson had been working on over the break. Video footage circulated online post-match, showing MacPhee and the 36-year-old shaking hands in celebration.

Henderson’s strike was the first time Chelsea had scored a free kick in the Premier League since James reignited the Blues’ comeback to draw 2-2 away to Newcastle United in December 2025. Having multiple dead-ball specialists only makes Alonso’s attack stronger and further expands the range of methods available to score goals.

That attack will once again be put to the test in the coming weeks as the Blues travel to face an unbeaten Everton side on October 17, a fixture Chelsea haven’t won away from home since the 2022/23 season.

October closes with back-to-back home fixtures against a winless Tottenham Hotspur and a struggling Manchester United side, who have had the worst start to a league season in 40 years.