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LONDON — Mauricio Pochettino has challenged his Chelsea players to follow the example set by once out-of-favour winger Noni Madueke, who won and scored a late penalty against Crystal Palace in the team’s 2-1 win on Wednesday.
Madueke, who has struggled for game time this season for Pochettino’s team, replaced Christopher Nkunku in the 71st minute as the 21-year-old came off the bench to decide the match in Chelsea’s favour.
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“I want all the players when they’re not involved [to] go against me,” Pochettino said. “Of course, I like because from there we won the game. He scored the penalty, he got the penalty. We are not a charity, you know? We are a football club and you need to perform.
“Sometimes we need to be tough. I said we need to show the reality, sometimes put [the player] in front of the mirror and say ‘come on,’ that is not the player that is going to perform.
“We have an amazing group of players, very nice people but they need to realise that this is about competing for Chelsea, not to compete in another club. It is about to win. It is about to lift trophies.”
“I like [his reaction to being out of the team] because it showed that he was upset with me and was disappointed with me because I didn’t play [him] too much, but also because he’s injured.
“But I think [Madueke said to himself] ‘now I’m going to show the coach that he can trust [in me].'”
Pochettino, who has been under pressure after a difficult start to his Chelsea tenure, named the west London club’s youngest ever Premier League starting XI — with an average of 23 years and 21 days — for the match against Palace.
The game also marked the first time that summer signing Nkunku started a Premier League match after returning from a knee injury that had ruled him out of the first half of the campaign.
“I think we need him to be more involved but it’s normal,” Pochettino said. “His first 60, 70 minutes — I think he was a little bit tired. He was struggling a little bit after 45 minutes, but it’s normal.
“He needs time, he need to play games but he’s going start to find himself [and] adapt to the team.”
Wednesday’s result means that Chelsea have now extended their run of consecutive league wins over Crystal Palace to 12 matches — a streak that stretches back to October 2017 when Antonio Conte was in charge at Stamford Bridge.
First-half goals from Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk and Palace’s Michael Olise looked like ensuring the match would end in a draw, before Madueke’s late penalty gave his team all three points.
“I’m so happy because the players from the bench were a very good impact for the team and that is about to realise that this is what we want for the future to be consistent and sometimes when the player came from the bench we need the player to be at their best,” Pochettino added.
Chelsea, who moved up to 10th in the Premier League following Wednesday’s victory, travel to face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in their next match on Nov. 30, while Palace host Brentford at Selhurst Park.