Gary Neville has expressed disappointment with Cole Palmer’s post-match interaction with Pep Guardiola after Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Manchester City on Saturday.
Chelsea had an early lead at the Etihad when Nicolas Jackson capitalized on a defensive blunder by City’s £33.6 million recruit, Abdukodir Khusanov, allowing Noni Madueke to score.
However, Manchester City came back with Josko Gvardiol’s equalizer before halftime, followed by Erling Haaland’s second-half goal from another Chelsea mistake, this time by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Phil Foden sealed the win late in the match, securing a 3-1 victory for City, which lifted them to fourth in the table, just ahead of Chelsea, who sit in sixth place.
During the post-match, Palmer, who had struggled to make an impact on the pitch, was seen chatting and smiling with Guardiola, which sparked backlash from Neville.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville criticized Palmer for appearing too relaxed, given the nature of the defeat and his performance. “I felt like you were being played,” Neville said.
“You didn’t do enough out there in the second half, and those Chelsea fans wanted more than that. They don’t want to see you smiling with the opposition manager.”
Neville emphasized that while he understands Palmer’s connection with Guardiola—who previously worked with him—it was the timing and the casual nature of the exchange that felt wrong. “If I were in Cole Palmer’s shoes after a tough loss like that, I would have expected more intensity from him,” Nevil