Pochettino fumes at Chelsea duo for trying to take penalty off Palmer during win against Everton (WATCH)
Cole Palmer delivered a stunning performance against Everton on Monday night in their Premier League clash, scoring four goals to fuel Chelsea's resurgence in the race for a European spot.
FollowCole Palmer delivered a stunning performance against Everton on Monday night in their Premier League clash, scoring four goals to fuel Chelsea's resurgence in the race for a European spot. However, Mauricio Pochettino, the team's manager, expressed dismay as the triumph was overshadowed by a heated dispute among his players over a penalty kick.
Palmer's remarkable hat-trick within 16 minutes left Everton reeling in embarrassment. Adding to their misery, Palmer converted a penalty to secure his fourth goal, but not before a dramatic altercation erupted between Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke over who would take the spot-kick.
Ultimately, Palmer asserted his authority and took the penalty, leveling him with Manchester City's Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League's scoring charts with 20 goals. Alongside Palmer's stellar performance, Nicolas Jackson and academy prodigy Alfie Gilchrist also found the net, contributing to Chelsea's impressive victory.
Pochettino was adamant about addressing the penalty saga as the focal point of his post-match press conference, prioritizing it over the team's victory. He issued a stern warning to Jackson and Madueke, cautioning them that any repeat of such behavior could result in severe consequences, including being dropped from the squad.
"First of all, I want to tell you to make clear that they know, the players know, the staff know, the club know that the taker on penalties is Cole Palmer," Pochettino said.
"It is a shame. I am so, so upset about this situation. We were talking in the dressing room about the image that we send because this is Monday night football and in every single country they were watching the game. We cannot send this type of image. It is a shame and I want to apologise to football people and our fans because that is unacceptable," the Chelsea boss added.
In his interview on Monday Night Football, the Chelsea manager warned that Madueke and Jackson would be 'out' if they did the same again. "I told them this is the last time I accept this type of behaviour. They’re all, involved in this situation, all out next time. This is not a joke. It is impossible after a performance like this. It shows we are in a process where we will learn a lot, we need to change and see more in the collective way than to think of individual achievement," he told Sky Sports.
"Other players wanted to take it, which was understandable. I am the penalty taker and wanted to take it. We're just trying to show everyone that we want to take responsibility. Maybe it was over the top, the argument. We were laughing and joking about it," Pochettino added.
