Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, issued a stern warning to Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke. He threatened to cut them from the team after they attempted to overstep Cole Palmer, who scored four goals, during a penalty-taking incident in a match against Everton. The dispute arose when Paul Tierney, the referee, granted Chelsea their 14th penalty of the season when they were leading 4-0.
Pochettino was furious when Jackson and Madueke tried to seize the opportunity for themselves despite Palmer being the regular taker with a flawless record. Pochettino expressed his disappointment and warned that such behavior would not be tolerated in the future. He made it clear that Palmer is the designated taker and emphasized that the incident was unacceptable.
Despite the disagreement, Palmer took a relaxed stance toward the controversy, stating that it was understandable for other players to want to take the penalty but affirmed his role as the designated taker. Pochettino indicated that the disagreement wouldn’t affect his team selection for the upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. He emphasized the need for the players to learn from the incident and warned of potential consequences if they fail to do so.
Meanwhile, Everton manager Sean Dyche was critical of his team’s performance in the match against Chelsea, acknowledging their poor display and lack of intent and desire. In other news, Everton is contesting a two-point penalty from the Premier League for breaching financial rules.