The Blues were leading 4-0 at Stamford Bridge when they were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark. Cole Palmer, who had already scored a hat-trick, was fouled, leading to a debate among his teammates on who should take the spot-kick. Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson both wanted to take the penalty and engaged in a heated argument. Eventually, captain Conor Gallagher intervened, instructing both Madueke and Jackson to let Palmer take the penalty since he had a 100% success rate from the spot.
Palmer successfully converted the penalty, making it his fourth goal and Chelsea’s fifth of the match. Despite the significant victory, manager Pochettino expressed dissatisfaction with his players’ behavior, labeling it as unacceptable and apologizing for the incident. He emphasized the importance of maintaining composure, especially after such a strong performance, and warned that such behavior would not be tolerated in the future. Palmer, who has scored 25 goals this season, acknowledged the disagreement over the penalty but emphasized his role as the designated penalty taker.
He also mentioned that the players were able to reconcile after the incident, although the manager addressed the matter with them. Overall, the incident highlighted the competitive spirit within the team, with Palmer standing by his role as the penalty taker while acknowledging the intense desire among the players to contribute to the team’s success.
