Cole Palmer attributed Chelsea’s thrilling last-minute triumph in their Premier League clash against Manchester United to Mauricio Pochettino’s motivational influence.
The match at Stamford Bridge was a rollercoaster, with Chelsea initially up by two goals within the first 19 minutes. However, the tables turned after halftime when United mounted a surprising rally.
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United was on the verge of securing a vital win in their quest for a top-four finish, but Palmer’s back-to-back goals during the 82 seconds of injury time turned the game on its head, leaving United in dismay.
‘It was a crazy game,’ Palmer told TNT Sports. ‘When we scored in the 98th minute I thought let’s go for it. Madness.
‘I didn’t know what to do. I was running round when I scored. A hat-trick is a hat-trick. It was my first one, I’m really happy about it.
‘When we scored he [Pochettino] said there’s two minutes left, come on. He’s always trying to drive us on. We went for it and thankfully we scored.
‘It’s a big winner. It’s a massive momentum booster. It puts everyone in a good mood. Hopefully we can kick on.’
Conor Gallagher put Chelsea ahead early in the game at Stamford Bridge, and Cole Palmer’s penalty at the 19-minute mark seemed to set the stage for an easy victory for the home team.
Yet, by the end of the first half, Manchester United had astonishingly equalized, thanks to quickfire goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes within a span of five minutes.
The turnaround seemed complete when Garnacho capitalized on Antony’s excellent cross to give United the lead. However, Palmer emerged as Chelsea’s savior, first with a second penalty and then by delivering a stunning last-gasp goal.
On scoring two penalties in the match, Palmer added: ‘I had a few penalties this season. I’m just going to continue to try to score them. If I get penalties, I’m going to try to score, I’m not going to try to miss.’
With the Premier League title out of reach, Chelsea’s focus is on honor, yet they are optimistic that this victory will invigorate Pochettino’s tenure and build up steam as they approach an FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City.
Speaking after the win, Pochettino said: ‘So happy because I think we deserved to win. I think it was tough, but overall we were the better team.
‘We started the game really well and the way we conceded affected the team in an emotional way. United play in transition really well and the way we concede the goals is the way not to concede.
‘The reality is always to do more to win, but I think it was amazing and the performance was not great, but good.
‘It is a start to building a connection with the fans and it will be very helpful for the future of us.’
