Pochettino Condemns Chelsea Penalty Dispute Between Palmer And Jackson Despite 6-0 Victory Over Everton

Chelsea Manager, Pochettino Upset Over In-Team Altercation Despite 6-0 Victory  

Chelsea's resounding 6-0 triumph over Everton at Stamford Bridge was marred by a heated altercation among players regarding penalty duties, prompting manager Mauricio Pochettino to express his dismay.

During Monday night's Premier League match, Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea boss, addressed the unsavory incident where two of his players engaged in a physical confrontation over who should take a penalty, despite Cole Palmer's impressive four-goal performance.

Pochettino described the behavior as "unacceptable," as Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke caused a scene that left him feeling compelled to apologize to fans worldwide witnessing the match.

Despite the home side holding a commanding four-goal lead in the second half, Palmer, designated as the club's penalty taker, eventually took charge following intervention from captain Conor Gallagher, regaining his composure to score his fourth goal of the game and reach 20 Premier League goals for the season.

Expressing his agitation during post-match duties, Pochettino emphasized, "I’m so, so upset about the situation. In every country, people are watching the game, and we cannot send this type of image."

He further added, "I want to apologize to our fans. Discipline is the most important thing for the team. It’s a collective sport. I’m not going to accept this type of behavior. I’m going to be very strong. I promise it’s not going to happen again."

Palmer's remarkable performance, which included his second hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, elevated him to joint Premier League top scorer with Erling Haaland.

Pochettino urged to focus on the game's positives, highlighting the 6-0 victory against a formidable opponent like Everton and the clean sheet achieved.

Acknowledging the youthfulness of his players, the former PSG and Tottenham Hotspur manager emphasized the importance of caution to prevent such incidents from recurring.

"We don’t talk about punishment," Pochettino asserted. "It’s about learning. They are young guys. It was very good the reaction of Gallagher like a captain. But you cannot show that type of behavior."

Stressing the need for stronger discipline, Pochettino concluded, "If they behave like kids, it’s impossible. You cannot behave like kids. It’s a shame, it’s an unacceptable thing. We don’t deserve to be talking about this."