'We Spoke': Xabi Alonso Reveals Chelsea Teammates' Reaction To Cole Palmer's Dismissal In Dressing Room
Cole Palmer faced criticism for his dismissal in the derby defeat against Spurs and will miss Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie vs Liverpool.
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Xabi Alonso has insisted Cole Palmer is well aware of his costly “mistake” that played a significant role in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday.
Chelsea went down to 10 men after Palmer’s second yellow card in the 80th minute of the derby. Spurs had just scored the opening goal three minutes earlier, and seven minutes later, they doubled their lead, putting the game to bed.
Palmer’s dismissal was not solely responsible for Chelsea’s defeat, but it still practically killed their chance of pushing for a late equaliser.
After the game, the England international put his hands up and apologised on social media.
“Not good enough by me. Live and learn! Apologies. Onto the next,” he wrote on an Instagram story.
Alonso revealed that he had a conversation with Palmer that convinced him there was nothing to be too concerned about.
“We spoke, and for sure he knows the mistake he made; things that you can avoid.” Alonso clarified at Tuesday’s press conference.
“I hope that this is not going to be repeated. He's aware of that; he's mature, and it was a mistake.”
Still, Palmer will have to serve a one-match suspension that rules him out of the important Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool on Wednesday.
It was Chelsea’s ninth red card in the Premier League since the start of last season, so despite Alonso’s optimistic view, it is still something that the team must address sooner rather than later.
On the bright side, Alonso said the situation has not affected Palmer, and his Chelsea teammates have helped create a positive environment.
“He's in a good space; he connects very well socially with his teammates,” Alonso added.
“They like him, they want Cole smiling, they want Cole having fun, enjoying his game because when we see that, he'll have a better team.
“I'll just ask you because he's got this very cool persona; you probably know his personality is very interesting.”
Chelsea face daunting Liverpool challenge without two key attackers
Palmer’s suspension and Joao Pedro’s injury absence have left Chelsea without their most important creator and scorer.
In the previous round of the Carabao Cup, they only managed to make a comeback against Leeds United after bringing on Palmer and Morgan Rogers from the bench. Chelsea were two goals down when they came on, but the pair inspired the hosts to a 6-3 turnaround win at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso will not have this luxury against Liverpool, with Rogers the only one available from the starting front three.
However, it is expected to be a battle between rotated Chelsea and Liverpool sides. Chelsea must also prepare for Saturday’s home Premier League fixture against Manchester United, while Liverpool host defending champions Arsenal on Sunday.
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said “there will definitely be changes” for the hosts in this game, although he clarified they still aim to win the encounter.
Iraola added that he was “optimistic” that Florian Wirtz, who had to come off after twisting his ankle against Brighton, would be in the squad against Chelsea. However, he was not as sure about Dominik Szoboszlai’s and Victor Munoz’s availability.