Noni Madueke’s reaction to Chelsea critics following the Cole Palmer penalty incident
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Madueke posted on Instagram with an image of the Chelsea team engaged in a pre-match huddle, along with a blue heart emoji. The post appeared to underline the togetherness within the squad and was interpreted as a response to criticism the 22-year-old had received for his behavior in a recent match against the Toffees.
The incident in question occurred during a match where the Blues were leading 4-0, and despite the designated penalty taker being English international Palmer, Madueke took the ball and continued to argue his case. The ensuing confrontation involved other players, with manager Mauricio Pochettino expressing strong disapproval of the behavior, emphasizing the need for a collective mindset in the team.
Following the incident, Madueke turned off the comments on his post, possibly anticipating fan criticism. While the incident seemingly tarnished a positive night for the Blues, Madueke’s teammate Palmer refrained from publicly criticizing him.
In a separate statement, Palmer emphasized the desire of the team to take responsibility, acknowledging that the incident may have been excessive but highlighting the collective drive to win. Palmer has a 100% conversion rate on penalties, having successfully converted all nine he has taken in the Premier League.
This puts him in an elite category, with only former Manchester City player Yaya Toure having scored more penalties while maintaining a perfect record, having scored 11 of 11.
