Gary Neville rages at Cole Palmer for antics after Chelsea defeat to Man City - 'Being played'
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Gary Neville has criticised Cole Palmer for engaging in a friendly conversation with Pep Guardiola following Chelsea's 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
The Sky Sports pundit took issue with Palmer's post-match behaviour, which saw the former City player laughing and joking with his old manager on the pitch.
The exchange occurred after Chelsea surrendered an early lead at the Etihad, where Palmer was making his second return since his £42.5million move to Stamford Bridge in September 2023.
Neville expressed particular concern about the visibility of the exchange, suggesting such reunions should take place away from public view.
Gary Neville has criticised Cole Palmer for engaging in a friendly conversation with Pep Guardiola following Chelsea's 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday
SKY
"Those Chelsea fans that have travelled today, 3,000 to 4,000 over in that far corner, they wanted better than that," Neville told Sky Sports.
"They don't really want to see you conversing with the opposition manager and smiling at the end of game."
The pair were seen sharing a joke before heading towards the Etihad tunnel.
Cole Palmer and Pep Guardiola shared a joke after Chelsea's defeat to Man City on Saturday
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Neville went further in his criticism, suggesting Guardiola was deliberately manipulating the situation.
"Cole, you're being played, you're being played here," Neville said on Sky Sports.
"I'm not being old school here. But there was something about that when I thought, Pep Guardiola is playing you here."
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The pundit also highlighted Palmer's performance, stating: "He didn't do enough out on that pitch in the second half."
Neville added: "I know he's had him [at City], but he didn't play him here and he sold him."
Guardiola had previously acknowledged Palmer's determination to leave Manchester City, revealing the player's persistent requests over two seasons.
"He said he wanted to leave," Guardiola said last April. "What could we do? He was asking for two seasons to leave and I said, No, stay."
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The City manager had attempted to retain Palmer, particularly after Riyad Mahrez's departure.
"I also said in pre-season he should stay because Riyad Mahrez had gone, but he said, No, I want to leave," Guardiola added.
Since the defeat, Chelsea have won just one of their last five Premier League games, dropping to sixth place as City moved into the top four.
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Despite the criticism, Palmer has enjoyed remarkable success since his move to Stamford Bridge, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in his debut season.
The 22-year-old's impact has been so significant that Guardiola himself labelled Palmer the "decisive player of the season" in 2023/24.
The forward has also established himself as an England regular since leaving City for more consistent playing time.
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