Xabi Alonso believes Cole Palmer must take a lesson from his dismissal in Chelsea’s surprising 2-0 loss to Tottenham. An own goal by Mike Penders and a late Mathys Tel strike gave Spurs their first victory at Stamford Bridge since 2018.
Tottenham had recorded only one win in their previous 34 visits to west London and were leading 1-0 when Palmer received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Conor Gallagher. The midfielder had already been booked following an incident with Mateus Fernandes, and Alonso acknowledged that the experience could provide a valuable lesson for the 24-year-old.
“Definitely,” the Chelsea head coach said. “I have not watched the incidents again, but from what I have been told, the referee probably made the correct decision. We must show enough maturity to handle difficult situations. After falling 1-0 behind, there were still around 15 or 20 minutes remaining. I need to review what happened before speaking with Cole, but he can certainly learn from it in the future.”
Alonso insisted he has no broader concerns about Palmer’s temperament, despite Chelsea’s No 10 also being at risk of dismissal against Everton the previous weekend. “It was an issue today, certainly, but it does not worry me,” he said. “This is a time for everyone to remain calm and behave maturely.”
Chelsea found it difficult without João Pedro, and the club remains unsure when the forward will be available again after suffering an unspecified injury in Friday’s training session. “There is considerable swelling,” Alonso said. “He noticed it yesterday, so we must wait for the medical tests before we know how serious the injury is.”
Alonso also supported Penders after the goalkeeper accidentally punched a corner into his own goal on his first Premier League start. “We succeed and fail as a team,” he said. “Mike has our support, just like every other player. He will learn from the mistake.”
Roberto De Zerbi hopes the result can provide Tottenham with fresh momentum. “Why not?” the Spurs head coach said. “There is no reason it cannot. I do not understand why the question needs to be asked simply because we have won two consecutive matches. We have not achieved anything yet. Our aim is to keep progressing and perform better with every match and every passing week. I believe we have endured enough.”
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