Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino had reasons to be pleased with his team’s 6-0 win, especially with star player Cole Palmer scoring four goals.
However, the Argentine coach found himself addressing an issue regarding a penalty kick incident in the second half, with Chelsea already leading 4-0 against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
Captain Conor Gallagher had to intervene to shove away Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke as they squabbled for the ball after the latter was brought down in the box. Gallagher secured the ball then handed it to Palmer, the team’s designated penalty taker.
“The players and staff know that Cole Palmer is the penalty taker,” said a furious Pochettino after the game. “I am so, so upset about the situation. Discipline is the most important thing in our team.
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“We all agree they [Jackson and Madueke] were wrong. They are not experienced players. They are young. It was very good the reaction by Conor Gallagher [to diffuse things].”
“We can’t show that type of behaviour,” he continued. “It’s like we are in a school, and our job is to show them they were wrong so they can learn. There will be no punishment, but this can’t happen again. If Palmer is on the pitch, he is the penalty taker.”
Pochettino went on to apologize for the incident and the “bad image” of the club that it presented.
Palmer calmly scored the penalty, making it his ninth successful penalty out of nine this season, bringing his total goals to 20, tying with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as the top scorer in the Premier League. This goal also brought his total goals in all competitions to 23, making him the first Chelsea player to reach 20 since Eden Hazard in 2018-19.
Pochettino praised Palmer’s ability to adapt and score goals, emphasizing his positive impact on the team. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, noting improvements from their previous game against Sheffield United.
Despite Chelsea’s struggles this season, Pochettino sees potential for growth and emphasizes the need for the team to mature and learn from mistakes. He criticized their behavior in the match, urging them to adopt a more collective mindset and mature approach.
The result leaves Chelsea in ninth place with 47 points, but they are within reach of teams ahead of them and have games in hand as they aim to climb the table before the season ends on May 19.
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