Alan Smith slams two Chelsea stars for fighting over penalty vs Everton
Alan Smith slammed Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke for arguing over who would take Chelsea’s penalty against Everton, telling the duo to ‘grow up’.
With Chelsea already 4-0 up over a lacklustre Everton, referee Paul Tierney pointed to the penalty spot for a late foul on hat-trick hero Cole Palmer.
Jackson initially took the ball and walked towards the penalty spot but Madueke tried to take the ball from the Chelsea striker.
The pair briefly argued before Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher took the ball and gave it to Palmer, who has a superb record from the spot this season.
Even at that point Jackson and Madueke were still trying to make their case to take the penalty, leaving Gallagher to push them away and allow Palmer to compose himself.
After the bizarre and unbecoming scene, Palmer sent Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford the wrong way to score his fourth goal of the evening and put Chelsea 5-0 up.
‘That is poor, that is so poor,’ ex-Arsenal striker Smith said on commentary for Sky Sports. ‘Who’s the penalty taker? Cole Palmer. Give him the ball and let him take it. Don’t worry about individual stats.
‘Noni Madueke is desperate to take this! He is arguing with Nicolas Jackson. I’ve never seen anything like it, especially given the scoreline.
‘Grow up. I don’t blame Palmer for not wanting to give it up, he’s the designated penalty taker and the best one at it.
‘Palmer stayed out of the squabbling but it was really poor. You can see in Mauricio Pochettino’s face that he’s less than impressed by that.’
Palmer’s emphatic penalty was his fourth goal of the evening and followed a stunning – and perfect – first-half hat-trick inside 30 minutes.
The ex-Manchester City star, now the joint-top goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Erling Haaland, received a standing ovation when he was replaced with ten minutes remaining.
It was not the first time penalty drama has unfolded at Chelsea this season, with Palmer allowing Raheem Sterling to take a penalty in the FA Cup last month – only for the England winger to miss from the spot.
