Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was looking to add to his goal tally for the season, which might have been the reason behind the heated exchange during a penalty situation against Everton.
The Blues dominated the Toffees 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night, following a frustrating 2-2 draw against Sheffield United. Cole Palmer stole the show with a phenomenal performance, netting four goals – a first-half hat-trick and a second-half penalty.
Jackson also got his name on the scoresheet just before halftime, while youngster Alfie Gilchrist secured the win with a goal in the 90th minute.
Drama unfolded in the 64th minute when Chelsea received a penalty. Confusion arose as both Palmer and Noni Madueke went down in the box. A disagreement erupted over who would take the penalty. Initially, Madueke grabbed the ball, seemingly ready to step up.
However, Palmer rose from the ground, prompting captain Conor Gallagher to intervene. Gallagher asserted Palmer’s designated penalty-taking role, leading to Jackson’s return to the scene in protest.
Finally, Palmer took the penalty and converted it coolly to claim his fourth goal of the night.
Mauricio Pochettino addressed this to avoid future disputes. He confirmed that Palmer is Chelsea’s penalty taker.
He added:
“The penalty taker is Palmer. It’s Palmer who needs to decide if he wants to give the ball to a team-mate. It’s important to fix. They realize now. It’s a shame. It’s a process for a young team who need to learn a lot. I need to apologize because fans around the world are seeing this type of situation after 4-0 to fight for a penalty.”