Mauricio Pochettino quipped Cole Palmer should be referred to as Lionel Messi and defended the Chelsea ace after some big misses against Aston Villa.

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Palmer misses big chances against VillaPochettino defends Chelsea starLikens him to Argentine Lionel MessiGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues were held to a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night, meaning they will play a replay in early February. Despite playing well, the west London outfit spurned some big chances, most notably Palmer and Noni Madueke. However, manager Pochettino has defended the former by using an interesting Messi comparison, while also revealing what is the former Manchester City man's best position… sort of.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID

When asked about Palmer's failure to score against Villa, the Argentine said: "No, I think he cannot score in every single game. If he did, we should maybe not call him Cole Palmer, we should call him maybe Leo [Messi]. No, it is not about his position – and his potential is massive. It's just sometimes you score or not. Sometimes you have better nights but he is doing well.

"He is a player who can play in different positions and you can see and feel that we never talk about his performances because he is always doing really good. It's just that sometimes he scores or doesn't score, but he always finds amazing chances in the game."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi comparisons aside, Palmer has arguably been Chelsea's best player this season since his £42.5 million ($54m) move from City last summer. The 21-year-old has scored 11 goals and bagged seven assists this term and despite all of their questionable, big-money transfer dealings, the England international is shining at Stamford Bridge.

WHAT NEXT?

Chelsea will hope Palmer has his shooting boots on when they travel to Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday, followed by a home clash against Wolves four days later. It is likely that their replay against Villa will be before their away trip to Crystal Palace on February 12.