Mateo Kovacic found himself momentarily confused, still thinking of himself as a Chelsea player even after Cole Palmer’s equalizer made it 4-4 in the added minutes of the second half.
Chelsea resiliently held their ground against the formidable Manchester City, putting up a strong fight to secure a point, despite a performance that arguably deserved more.
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Within their ranks, the Blues boasted two former City players, Cole Palmer and the seasoned winger Raheem Sterling, both of whom managed to score against their former club.
On the flip side, the Citizens had a former Blue in Kovacic, who made the switch last summer for an initial £25 million, a figure that could potentially rise to £30 million with certain add-on conditions, according to BBC Sports.
In the clash with Arsenal, Chelsea faced a 2-2 draw, and some Blues fans directed blame towards Robert Sanchez for letting a two-goal lead slip away.
Pep Guardiola’s team secured a late lead courtesy of Spanish midfielder Rodri.
However, in added time, Ruben Dias fouled Armando Broja, leading to a penalty that Palmer successfully converted.
A video circulating on social media captured the moment Kovacic, still mentally in Chelsea mode, celebrated with a fist pump before realizing his team allegiance and swiftly distancing himself from the scene.
Kovacic? ???????? pic.twitter.com/Fa5CqRcD4Q
— LONDONSFIRST™ (@LondonsFirst_) November 13, 2023
After Chelsea was awarded the penalty, a melee unfolded, with discontent over Dias’ tackle on Broja, who had missed most of the previous season due to a serious knee injury.
In a video shared on X by Londons First, Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson confronted the Croatian midfielder, making a shushing gesture.
Jackson at it with the shushing again ???? pic.twitter.com/X1czycRDPS
— LONDONSFIRST™ (@LondonsFirst_) November 12, 2023
He followed up on his goal-scoring performance in the second consecutive game, having previously netted a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Tottenham the previous Monday.
