Alan Shearer found himself both furious and perplexed after Raheem Sterling denied Cole Palmer a penalty in Chelsea’s gripping FA Cup quarter-final victory over Leicester City.
With Chelsea already leading 1-0 thanks to Marc Cucurella’s early goal, they had an opportunity to extend their advantage when Sterling was brought down in the box midway through the first half.
Cole Palmer, who boasted a perfect record from the spot this season, initially stepped up to take the penalty but relinquished the responsibility to Sterling following a brief dispute with his teammate.
Sterling’s feeble effort was thwarted by Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, and although Palmer added a second goal on the stroke of half-time, the Foxes staged an impressive comeback after the break.
Despite being reduced to ten men with 20 minutes remaining, Leicester seemed poised to force Chelsea into extra time before the hosts secured their place in the semi-finals with late strikes from Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke.
Shearer, a Premier League icon, expressed his bewilderment and frustration, questioning the rationale behind Sterling’s decision to usurp Palmer from penalty duties.
On the contrary, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards suggested that Sterling was attempting to boost his confidence with a goal from the spot, a notion dismissed vehemently by Shearer.
Arsenal veteran Martin Keown also criticized Sterling for ‘pulling rank’ on Palmer, while Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino remained unfazed by the incident, citing the players’ mutual understanding and decision-making autonomy.
Following their victory over Leicester, Chelsea was drawn to face Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals, while Manchester United would take on Championship side Coventry City in the other semi-final fixture.
