Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has said he will speak with Cole Palmer after the forward was shown two yellow cards in under 10 minutes during the Blues' derby defeat by Tottenham.
Palmer was first booked for a clash with Mateus Fernandes before being sent off following a stamp on Conor Gallagher. His dismissal came as Chelsea trailed after Mike Penders' own goal on his first Premier League start, and the hosts eventually lost 2-0 after Mathys Tel's solo effort.
Alonso backs referee's decision
Asked whether the referee had made the right call to send off Palmer, Alonso said: "Absolutely. I've not seen it but I've been told it's right." He added: "We think [up until] now we haven't received any red cards (this season) and we need to continue that way because we need to have this maturity to deal with difficult moments."
Alonso noted that Chelsea were only 1-0 down with 15-20 minutes remaining, saying: "I need to check the action to talk with Cole but it is one to learn for the future for sure."
Discipline issues persist
The head coach echoed previous Chelsea managers in calling for improved discipline. "We need to work and we need to improve on that," he said. "I think we spoke (on Friday) about those things, and to know that in those situations that one first yellow card can be decisive. As we have seen, it is a process of the maturity of the team and of the individual players as well."
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi felt Palmer could have been shown a straight red card for his challenge on Fernandes, while Gary Neville believed Morgan Rogers should also have been dismissed for a late foul on Gallagher. Rogers had avoided a red card against Everton last weekend, and Palmer received a caution for dissent in that game.
Suspension ahead
Palmer, who signed a new long-term contract at Chelsea earlier this month, will be suspended for the Carabao Cup last-16 tie against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, followed by a home match against Manchester United next weekend.
