Why Raheem Sterling took Chelsea penalty off Cole Palmer against Leicester City
Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling missed a glaring opportunity to boost his confidence o Sunday. The England international saw his penalty saved in Chelsea’s FA Cup clash against Leicester City.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side made an ideal start to the game as the Blues took the lead through Marc Cucurella’s tap-in after an impressive run from Nicolas Jackson. Chelsea had the prospect of doubling their lead, midway through the first half, after Sterling was brought down in the box.
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s designated penalty taker this season, scoring five of the club’s eight spot kicks, with Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke also stepping up. However, it was Sterling who took the responsibility against Leicester at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling’ attempted to place the ball down the middle but his effort went to the goalkeeper’s right, allowing Jakub Stolarczyk to make a comfortable save. It was a blow for the Chelsea forward, whose impact has waned in recent weeks, despite registering 17 total goal contributions in 35 games.
Palmer initially looked set to take the penalty before handing the ball to Sterling. Whether it was due to the foul on Sterling earning the penalty, his decision to take the spot kick also comes in the same week that he was left out of the latest England squad.
Later in the game, the 29-year-old was handed another golden chance to get himself on the scoresheet but was unable to take advantage of a one-on-one situation. However, the experienced forward was able to somewhat redeem his mistakes before half-time.
Running down the left flank, Sterling supplied the cross that allowed Palmer to double Chelsea’s lead. It put Pochettino’s side in a commanding position to join Coventry City and Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Manchester United and Liverpool also set to face off in the remaining quarter-final tie.
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