Chelsea star Cole Palmer criticizes refereeing standards with comment on social media post showing Mateta picking up a booking for celebration

Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Premier League - Source: Getty
Cole Palmer of Chelsea in action during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on August 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has criticized refereeing standards in the Premier League with a comment on Instagram. The England attacking midfielder took exception to Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta's booking for kicking the corner flag after scoring a penalty against Aston Villa on Sunday, August 31.

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It has been noted that removing a corner flag entirely from the ground after kicking it results in bookings, ostensibly due to the disrespect and indiscipline it shows. But Palmer was not too happy with the referee's decision. In reply to a post by Sportbible on Instagram that mentioned the incident, Palmer responded with a cryptic comment that made his displeasure clear.

"Games gone (sic)," wrote Palmer.

You can see the post here:

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In the event, Mateta was celebrating a goal he scored from the spot for Palace in the 21st minute of their away game against Aston Villa. The Eagles dominated the match and won with a scoreline of 3-0. Mateta, playing as their lone striker in a 3-4-2-1 formation, impressed with an xG statistic of 0.79, as well as a 100% accuracy with regard to shots on target.

Cole Palmer has not featured for Chelsea since August 17

Palmer last featured for Chelsea in their goalless draw against Crystal Palace at home on August 17. In that fixture, he played in the central attacking midfield position but was quite lethargic with his contributions in the final third.

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While taking just four shots throughout the match, Palmer had a disappointing xG of 0.17. However, he created a crucial chance for the Blues and ended the evening with a passing accuracy of 79%. Unfortunately, the Englishman took no shots on target for Chelsea in that outing.

Soon afterwards, Palmer found himself sidelined after straining his groin during warm-up ahead of their match with West Ham United on August 23. Despite his absence, Enzo Maresca's side beat their city rivals by a whopping 5-1 scoreline.

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Palmer has continued to be on the treatment bench and did not feature for Chelsea in their recent 2-0 win over another London club, Fulham, either. New acquisition Joao Pedro took his spot.

Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer, Pedro already has two goals and two assists to his name in the Premier League this season. Against Fulham, he displayed an impressive passing accuracy of 88% and had 67% of his shots on target.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava
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