Noni Madueke attempted to take a crucial late penalty from Cole Palmer during Chelsea's dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester United, sparking a confrontation that required intervention from teammates. The incident occurred in the 100th minute at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, with Madueke having won the spot-kick after being fouled by Diogo Dalot.
Footage from the stands showed Madueke demanding the ball from Palmer, who is Chelsea's designated penalty taker and had already scored from the spot earlier in the match. Palmer held firm as Alfie Gilchrist, Trevoh Chalobah, and Benoit Badiashile guided Madueke away. Palmer subsequently converted the penalty, his eighth successful spot-kick of the season, and completed his hat-trick moments later to seal a 4-3 victory.
This is not the first time Chelsea players have argued over penalty duties this season. In October, Raheem Sterling and Palmer debated who should take a penalty against Arsenal, with Palmer eventually taking and scoring. Last month, Sterling was criticised after taking the ball off Palmer and missing a penalty in the FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester City.
Madueke has scored both penalties he has taken for Chelsea this season, against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup and Crystal Palace in the Premier League. However, Palmer's perfect record from the spot has made him the clear first-choice taker under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
