Cole Palmer scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season to give Chelsea the lead against Brighton (Getty)
Cole Palmer insists Chelsea’s players ‘love and want to fight’ for Mauricio Pochettino following the 2-1 victory over Brighton on Wednesday evening.
Palmer scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season to give Chelsea the lead at the Amex Stadium before Christopher Nkunku found the net in the second half. Danny Welbeck netted a late consolation for the hosts, while Chelsea were reduced to 10 men in the 88th minute when Reece James was sent off.
Chelsea’s fourth win in a row has put them sixth in the table, three points clear of Manchester United and Newcastle United ahead of the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday.
Chelsea could still finish fifth and clinch a Europa League place if they beat Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge and Tottenham lose to Sheffield United.
And Palmer Chelsea’s strong end to the campaign shows that the squad are fully behind Pochettino, whose future will be assessed by the club’s hierarchy this summer.
‘We needed the three points. It was hard towards the end and throughout the match, but to get the three points and for it to be in our hands to get sixth place is big for us. Hopefully we can do it,’ Palmer told Premier League Productions.
Cole Palmer insists Chelsea’s squad are fully behind Mauricio Pochettino (PA)
‘Chelsea are a big club, everyone wants to finish higher than sixth but you have to look at where we were at the start of the season, throughout the season, we’ve been 13th, 12th. Last season obviously was the same.
‘So to get back into Europe is a step in the right direction.
‘Big credit to the manager because all the players love the manager and they want to fight for him.
‘We’re just gelling now and everyone can see that.’
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Asked if he considers a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League a success after the win over Brighton, Pochettino said: ‘I don’t know. We have been all the season talking but it looks like my words are not important and no one cares.
‘People only care about rumours and things like this. It’s not important, the most important thing is winning games for me. It has been tough with all the circumstances.’
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