Cole Palmer has been slammed over his friendly chat with former boss Pep Guardiola after Chelsea’s top four hopes took another blow.
The Blues lost 3-1 against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday to see them drop down into sixth in the Premier League table.
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After being in an unexpected title race last month, the west Londoners have since won just one out of their last seven top-flight matches.
It was Chelsea who took the lead against Guardiola’s men, but they were ultimately outclassed by the Citizens, with the visitors barely laying a glove on their opponents in the second half.
For Palmer, it was his fifth meeting against his old club since swapping City for Stamford Bridge in 2023 in a deal worth around £40million.
And having flattered to deceive on his return to his former stomping ground, Palmer was spotted laughing with Guardiola following the full-time whistle.
It was something that has rubbed Manchester United legend Gary Neville up the wrong way, insisting the England international was ‘played’ by the Spaniard.
Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, the Sky Sports pundit said: “I want to say something about Cole Palmer.
“He was talking to Pep Guardiola on the pitch right at the end of the game and he was smiling with him, Pep Guardiola does that.
“Cole, you’re being played, you’re being played here, you didn’t do enough out on that pitch in the second half.
“He’s an amazing player, absolutely brilliant, but you know something?
“Those Chelsea fans that travelled today, the 3,000 or 4,000 in that far corner wanted better than that.
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“They don’t really want to see you conversing with your opposition manager and smiling at the end of the game.
“I’m not being old school here, but there’s something about that.
“I thought Pep Guardiola’s playing you here, I know he’s had him, but he didn’t play him here and he sold him.
“Having a conversation inside I’m not against that, obviously he’s played for the manager.
“But I just felt at the end there’s something about it I didn’t feel was right from a Cole Palmer perspective.
“I know why Pep Guardiola’s done it, that’s what Pep Guardiola does, but if I’d lost 3-1 away from home and had been as disappointed as I am and Cole Palmer, I expected more from him in the second half.”
In what is his second season at Chelsea, Palmer already has nearly as many goals for the club as appearances he managed at City.
From 70 appearances, the 22-year-old has banged in 39 goals in all competitions.
Whereas for City, he mustered just six goals in 41 outings after making his senior debut in September 2020.
