Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said it was a “sad situation” seeing his players squabble over who was going to take a penalty during an otherwise impressive 6-0 win against Everton.
Cole Palmer, who ultimately took the penalty and scored his fourth goal of Monday’s Premier League game, had won the spot kick when the debate over who should take it ensued.
Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke both felt that they should have responsibility, as did Palmer, Chelsea’s regular penalty taker. As a brief tussle broke out between the trio, captain Conor Gallagher grabbed the ball from Madueke and handed it to Palmer.
The striker then calmly rolled the ball into the bottom-left corner to give Chelsea a 5-0 lead at Stamford Bridge.
“For me, it’s a shame because I think we cannot behave in this way. I told them that this is the last time that I accept this type of behavior,” Pochettino told Sky Sports about the incident after the game.
He added, “I made clear to them and now through you, to the fans and to everyone that Cole Palmer is the taker.
“And then if Palmer wants to give the ball to another he can, but not in this way. It’s a really, really sad situation what happened and I won’t accept that to happen again.”
The 21-year-old Palmer, now the Premier League’s joint-top scorer this season on 20 goals, downplayed the issue.
“I’m the penalty taker and I wanted to take it so in the end I took it,” he told Sky Sports. “But I think we’re just trying to show that everyone wants to take responsibility and stuff like that.
“Maybe it was a bit over the top, the argument and stuff, but everyone just wants to win [and] help, it’s nothing major. We were laughing and joking about it.”
The England international scored a perfect hat-trick in the first half against Everton – his first from the edge of the area with his left foot, his second a close-range header, and his third a brilliant right-footed lob from distance after a disastrous error from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Jackson’s well-taken finish just before the end of the half gave Chelsea a commanding 4-0 lead before Palmer’s penalty – his ninth from nine attempts this season – added gloss to an outstanding individual performance.
Late on in the one-sided contest, defender Alfie Gilchrist scored his first Chelsea goal to cap off a big win for the home side. Victory sees Chelsea stay ninth in the Premier League table but within three points of Newcastle, Manchester United, and West Ham having played fewer games.
Everton, meanwhile, is just two points above the relegation zone as the club feels the pressure of two separate points deductions this season for breaching financial rules.
Next up on Sunday is an important game at home against Nottingham Forest, a place below Everton in the Premier League, while Chelsea plays Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals on Saturday.
