Chelsea manager Graham Potter has had his say on Kai Havertz appearing to mock Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the teams’ 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
After a goalless first 45-minutes in west London, Potter’s men broke the deadlock through Joao Felix shortly after the restart only for Abdoulaye Doucoure to level things up just over 15-minutes later.
Havertz then converted a 76th minute penalty to give the hosts the advantage going into the latter stages of the game.
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But substitute and Everton academy graduate Ellis Simms had the last word when he burst past Kalidou Koulibaly and steered a shot under Kepa Arrizabalaga a minute from time to rescue a vital point for Sean Dyche’s team.
The result sees Everton leapfrog Nottingham Forest into 15th spot in the Premier League, two points above the relegation zone. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain in tenth place, 11 points adrift of the top four with 11 games to go.
However, in what was a thrilling second-half of football, one moment in particular that raised questions from reporters post-match was the antics of Havertz following his goal, in which he appeared to mock Pickford by cupping his hands to his ears and sticking out his tongue as he wheeled away in celebration.
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After the game, Potter was asked for his take on the incident, and the Blues boss made his thoughts on the matter abundantly clear.
“When players score, they have something like an out-of-body experience,” he said.
“I didn’t score many myself so I wouldn’t know. You should enjoy the celebration, I don’t think you need to involve the opponent. That would be my perspective.”
Potter also expressed his frustration at his team for dropping points in the manner that they did.
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He added: “Everton used their strengths well. They’ve got physicality and used Doucoure and [Andre] Onana to win long balls, second balls, throw-ins, set-pieces, and to create danger.
“Teams have always done that well under Sean [Dyche]. It’s not easy to control it as well as you’d like.
“We lost a little bit of control for a short period of time and when we did, we conceded. That’s the frustrating bit.”
Next up for Chelsea after the international break is the visit of Aston Villa while Everton host Tottenham hoping to pull themselves further towards Premier League survival.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports Premier LeagueTopics: Premier League, Everton, Kai Havertz, Chelsea, Graham Potter
