Cole Palmer signs new Chelsea deal, assists in 5-1 win

Cole Palmer signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea on Saturday, committing his future to the club until at least 2034, then helped the team beat Bournemouth 5-1 in their first home fixture since the international break.

The 24-year-old forward featured in Xabi Alonso's starting line-up at Stamford Bridge, setting up Jordan Henderson's opener in the second minute. Morgan Rogers added a second goal directly from the restart, before a João Pedro brace and a Henderson second-half strike completed the emphatic victory.

"It was a great win against a good side," said Palmer. "We knew it'd be difficult, but we played well. It was a good day, especially having key players back."

Palmer also contributed to Henderson's second goal, his run drawing a foul and then acting as a decoy before the midfielder curled a free-kick into the top corner — a move Palmer revealed had been rehearsed in training.

"I just said to him: 'We've worked on it'. He's done it well in training, so before his shot, I said: 'Which corner flag are we running to when you put it in the top corner?' And then we chose a corner flag, then he put it in the top corner, then we ran there. So it was funny."

On signing the contract, Palmer was straightforward about his intentions. "It feels nice. Just thank you to the club for trusting me and I've got to keep repaying them. I just work hard and try to give my best, that's all."

Palmer added that Chelsea are still adapting to Alonso's methods. "It's still early with the manager and he's still trying to get his ideas across, but we're starting to adapt and especially this week we've been working on ideas, so it's been good."