During Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Everton, manager Graham Potter responded bluntly to Kai Havertz’s celebration.
On Saturday evening, the German sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the penalty spot to restore the Londoners’ lead at Stamford Bridge before goading the England number one with his celebration.
It’s the latest chapter in their heated rivalry, with the former Bayer Leverkusen prospect appearing to be aiming for the Blues’ backline.
It wasn’t the first time the two clubs clashed – Havertz was involved in an ongoing battle with Yerry Mina and Pickford last season, with the Chelsea attacker lucky to escape punishment after reacting to the defender.
His joyous celebration was in vain, as Ellis Simms scored his first Premier League goal for Everton, slotting past Kepa Arrizabalaga. His goal gave the Blues a two-point lead over the bottom three, as Chelsea’s chances of finishing in the top four faded further.
But it was Havertz’s celebration that drew the most attention at full-time, with Potter unimpressed with his forward.
When players score, they have something like an out-of-body experience,” Potter said in his post match press conference.
“I didn’t get many, so I wouldn’t know. I don’t think you should include the opponent in the celebration. That is my point of view.”
The former Brighton manager went on to say: “We’re extremely disappointed because we lost two points at home. We wanted to win, and you could see the team’s motivation.
“There were many positive aspects to the performance, but we did not defend well enough, and conceding two goals makes it difficult to win the game. That is the most disappointing aspect for us.
Leave a Reply