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Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has hit out at Chelsea for an incident during their dominant 6-0 win over Everton on Monday, April 15.
The Blues hammered the Toffees at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Monday. Cole Palmer was the star of the show as he scored four goals. He opened the scoring in the 13th minute before adding another five minutes later. He completed his hat-trick in the 29th minute before Nicolas Jackson made it 4-0 just before half-time.
Chelsea then received a penalty at the hour mark after Palmer was fouled in the box. Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson were then seen having an argument over who would take the penalty. Palmer, meanwhile, has taken the majority of their penalties this season and also demanded the ball.
Captain Conor Gallagher then took the ball from Madueke and gave it to Palmer, who scored to make it 5-0. After the game, Steve Nicol spoke about the incident on ESPNFC and said:
“It’s a symptom, what happened with the penalty. It’s all very well, they beat Everton 6-0. [Everton] were atrocious but they still beat them 6-0. But the [incident] is a symptom of one of the problems with this team.
“They’ve had one incredible game, they’ve got some results recently, but they haven’t played like this. It’s a little early to start thinking they’ve turned around the corner. The fact that the penalty carry-on happened tells you that they’re not ready yet to be a proper team.”
Alfie Gilchrist eventually scored the sixth goal for Chelsea in the 90th minute to complete a comprehensive win.
Chelsea receive big confidence boost ahead of crucial games
The Blues came into the Everton clash on the back of a disappointing performance as they drew 2-2 against bottom-placed Sheffield United. However, they were excellent against the Toffees and registered a huge 6-0 win.
Chelsea remained ninth in the Premier League table but are just three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United with a game in hand. They have a better goal difference than the Red Devils (Blues: 9, United: -1). The west London side have some tough fixtures coming up next, though.
They will next face Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, April 20. They will then face Arsenal at the Emirates in a London derby followed by Aston Villa at Villa Park. Chelsea will then compete in another two London derbies, hosting Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge and facing West Ham United at the London Stadium.
They will finish off their league season against Nottingham Forest (A), Brighton & Hove Albion (A), and Bournemouth (H).
