Palmer: “I’m the penalty taker. I wanted to take it so I took it”
Cole Palmer has emphatically told his Chelsea team-mates 'I am our penalty taker' after yet another row in Monday night's thrashing of Everton.
Mauricio Pochettino's side smashed six goals past the struggling Toffees but another embarrassing on-field argument over who should take a spot-kick overshadowed the win.
After Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke debated who should take the 64th-minute kick, Palmer eventually had to pull rank and take the kick himself.
He converted to score his fourth of the evening but Pochettino was left incensed at his feuding players with the issue becoming a theme this evening.
The Chelsea boss stated publicly for the first time afterwards that Palmer is now the designated taker and Palmer himself confirmed this status in a post-match interview on NBC Sports.
'Everyone wants to score, especially the attackers. It's nothing, we have spoken about it, we have brushed it under the carpet,' Palmer began.
'I think it just shows the mentality of the players, they want to take it, but the gaffer has told us, it's been brushed aside and I'm sure it won't happen again.'
Pressed on whether he was Chelsea's first-choice to take penalties, Palmer then replied: 'Well, I am now, yes.'
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