Pochettino slams Chelsea kids for penalty feud in win - ESPN

A 6-0 win — including a four-goal night by one of his star players in Cole Palmer — should have left Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino with no issues following the game.

But that was far from the case, as the Argentine coach took his team to task for an incident regarding who would take a penalty kick in the second half with Chelsea already up 4-0 on Everton on Monday night at Stamford Bridge.

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Captain Conor Gallagher had to intervene to shove away Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke as they squabbled for the ball after the latter was brought down in the box. Gallagher secured the ball then handed it to Palmer, the team's designated penalty taker.

«The players and staff know that Cole Palmer is the penalty taker,» said a furious Pochettino after the game. «I am so, so upset about the situation. Discipline is the most important thing in our team.

»We all agree they [Jackson and Madueke] were wrong. They are not experienced players. They are young. It was very good the reaction by Conor Gallagher [to diffuse things]."

«We can't show that type of behaviour,» he continued. «It's like we are in a school, and our job is to show them they were wrong so they can learn. There will be no punishment, but this can't happen again. If Palmer is on the pitch, he is the penalty taker.»

Pochettino went on to apologize for the incident and the «bad image» of the club that it presented.

Palmer calmly slotted home the penalty — bringing his tally to a perfect 9-for-9 from the spot this season — to make it 5-0 and move alongside Manchester City's Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 20. The goal also brought Palmer's tally in all competitions to 23 as he became