This article may contain affiliate links, which means the author may earn a commission from any resulting sales. Mauricio Pochettino’s comments before Chelsea’s 5-0 loss to Arsenal drew criticism from Premier League duo Michail Antonio and Tom Cairney. Pochettino had called for his team to prove they are not reliant on a specific player, which was seen as a reference to Cole Palmer.
However, his rallying call didn’t resonate with his team, as they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Arsenal. During the match, Arsenal dominated their London rivals, with Leandro Trossard opening the scoring and second-half braces from Kai Havertz and Ben White adding to Chelsea’s embarrassment. Pochettino’s comments about Palmer left many puzzled, particularly as the match seemed to demonstrate the team’s reliance on the player.
In reaction to Pochettino’s remarks, Michail Antonio and Tom Cairney expressed their surprise and criticism. Antonio laughed at the irony of Pochettino’s comments given the team’s subsequent poor performance, and Cairney questioned the wisdom of such comments from the manager right before a match. The players’ reactions highlight the potential impact of a manager’s comments on the team’s morale and performance.
As Chelsea looks to bounce back from their defeat, there will likely be ongoing discussions about the team’s reliance on individual players like Cole Palmer.