Former Chelsea star Joe Cole made an unusual remark about London Mayor Sadiq Khan during TNT Sports' coverage of Chelsea's 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica. While praising midfielder Moises Caicedo, Cole said: 'He was just pickpocketing people which does happen in London unfortunately, Mr Khan.'
The comment came a day after Khan criticised politicians for misrepresenting crime figures in the capital. The Labour Mayor stated: 'We’ve seen a number of politicians here and across the globe talking down London and spreading misinformation about crime and safety in the capital. The evidence is clear, our approach to tackling crime and its complex causes works. It’s driving down violence right across the capital.'
Among those who have criticised Khan is US President Donald Trump, who claimed crime in London was 'through the roof' under his leadership and that he was doing a 'terrible job'. Khan was not invited to the state banquet for President Trump earlier this month.
On the pitch, Chelsea secured their first Champions League win of the season thanks to an own goal from Benfica's Richard Rios in the first half. The victory followed a defeat to Bayern Munich in the opening fixture. Joao Pedro was sent off late in the game for a second bookable offence and will miss the next match against Ajax on October 22.
