There's been plenty of midfielders/wingers that have scored as many goals (and without half of their goals being penalties). Just from Arsenal in the PL:
- Saka had 14 last year (2 penalties) and 13 so far this year (4 penalties)
- Martinelli had 15 last year (no pens)
- Odegaard had 15 last year (no pens)
Cole Palmer has 16 this year (8 penalties). Not trying to take away from his good play this year, but half of his goals are penalties. His hat trick yesterday consisted of 2 penalties and a deflection. He's a good player, but people are acting like he's already a world class player based on an inflated stat sheet.
And this is why a focus on goal contributions is never gonna be super helpful. If you watch Chelsea, Palmer is so much more than the goals and the assists (as most top level attacking midfielders are). He's creating like mad and the offense is fully running through him. He's leaving defenders in his wake and he's clearly thinking the game mad high. And his "inflated" stat sheet still includes 8+8 in non-penalty contributions, and (IIRC) none of the assists came from set pieces. I would've been overjoyed 8+8 preseason, and here we are!
I should just add as an aside also that Odegaard and Martinelli's records last season were on xG overperformances of world historic proportions. This season we are seeing a Martinelli with normal finishing and look at the results!
Anyway, Palmer is easily the most dynamic player we've had since Hazard. He's obviously not at that level, but we haven't had a player who can turn a game on its head since Hazard, and there are few players who can flip a game out of nowhere like Cole has shown himself able to. The hat trick was two penalties and a deflection, but this was not Nico's hattie against Spurs. You watch Chelsea, you see that there's an electricity there. Even when Mount was popping double digit goals and assists, he didn't have the ~it~ factor that Palmer clearly has.
Also, I should add that the focus on "he scores penalties" becomes less compelling as he continues to be unstoppable from the spot. 8/8 is a very very impressive record. Most top penalty takers would've missed one by now.
Would I say he's world-class? No, not yet. But keep playing like this and he definitely is.