Palmer said he feels "the best I have in a long time" after Chelsea, under the management of Marcos Alonso, helped him bounce back from a difficult season.

The 24-year-old endured a challenging 2024-25 campaign, suffering a groin injury that limited him to just two appearances between August and December.

Though he ultimately scored 10 Premier League goals, netting just one in eight matches towards the end of the season cost him a place in England's World Cup squad.

On Monday, Palmer shook off that disappointment, scoring in Chelsea's 3-2 victory over Fulham on opening day, once again showcasing his star quality.

"Physically, I feel really good, probably the best I have in a long time, but I think the more matches I play and the more minutes I get on the pitch, the better I'll become," Palmer told Sky Sports.

"Before I got the groin injury, I probably had never really been injured, or very rarely. So I was always bouncing back when I shouldn't have been.

"Obviously, with the World Cup coming up, I was a bit torn, thinking: 'If I don't play, I won't get there; but if I do play, I won't be able to really perform.'

"It was a really difficult situation. To be honest, I didn't know what to do at the time, but what's done is done. I've spoken to a lot of different people and got a lot of different opinions trying to understand why I was getting injured and what the issue was.

"Since I've been back, I've worked hard every day, clearly trying to make sure that doesn't happen again. I just want to stay fit, and then I know what I'm capable of on the pitch."

Though the season is still young, Palmer appears to have rediscovered his freedom under Alonso.

Under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, there was a perception that Palmer was constrained by a stricter tactical system. He even alluded to this, though he revealed that after speaking with his new manager, that is no longer the case.

"He [Alonso] simply told me I'd have more freedom to move around the pitch. And as you saw, my goal against Fulham was exactly that.

"Last season, I wouldn't even have made that run because it wasn't a 'safe zone.' But he told me I can move into that area, drop deep, receive the ball, create chances, and do what I do."

This newfound freedom could help Palmer, João Félix and new signing Morgan Rogers form a potent attacking trio. All three scored against Fulham at Craven Cottage and have since been dubbed "JP Morgan."

Though Palmer clearly dislikes the nickname, he's excited about the chemistry developing between the three.

"That's a bad name. We need to come up with something better," he laughed. "I think we all bring different things. João can do a lot of things, Morgan's more physically strong, and I'm more technical, so I think we're a good balance."

The victory over Fulham gave Chelsea an ideal start, and with Alonso's coaching prowess and the club's absence from European competition this season, some have tipped The Blues as potential title contenders.

Gary Neville, on Monday Night Football, suggested that Arsenal may still be too strong to topple. However, he believes Chelsea are well-positioned and could challenge for second place.

Palmer revealed, though, that there has been no discussion of the table in the dressing room.

"We haven't even talked about that yet. This isn't a title race, we've only played one game," Palmer said.

When asked if he thinks the team has what it takes to challenge for the title, Palmer answered: "Yes, I do."

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