Chelsea penalty meltdown sparks fresh Palmer concerns

Stuart Telford

• 16 Apr 2024 09:30 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea should have been all smiles after thrashing Everton 6-0. Instead, a penalty meltdown could put more pressure on the club's ability to hold onto star man Cole Palmer.

The Blues picked up their biggest win of the season on Monday, with Palmer scoring four goals to draw level with former Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 20.

But the fourth of those was a penalty that he very nearly wasn't able to take, with Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson both trying to grab the ball before captain Conor Gallagher intervened.

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Mauricio Pochettino was livid at his post-match press conference.

Poch 'can't accept this bahviour'

"I can't accept this kind of behaviour," he stormed. "I told them it's the last time I want to see this kind of behaviour. It is impossible to have this type of behaviour after this performance. If we want to be a great team, we need to change and think in a collective way."

Palmer has made a mockery of the £40 million Chelsea paid City for his services last September, and looks to be under lock and key with a seven-year contract that the club have an option to make eight.

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But the recent on-field commotion was a window into greater dressing room problems, and comes at a time when Chelsea need to raise £100 million in players sales to satisfy Premier League profit and sustainability regulations.

Their priority - perhaps in contravention of team spirit - is to sell academy graduates Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Armando Broja as their transfer fees would represent pure profit on the balance sheet.

But Palmer would have no shortage of takers, and Chelsea will have to work hard to calm troubled waters behind the scenes. The 21-year-old has made heads turn this season, and the Blues can't ill afford his to be the next.