Noni Madueke risked the wrath of Chelsea supporters after he was seen joking around with Manchester City ace Jack Grealish following his side’s exit from the FA Cup. The winger was spotted in the background of footage of Thiago Silva in tears after the loss.
A late Bernardo Silva goal dumped Chelsea out of the FA Cup, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side set to go trophyless for another season. It wasn’t for the lack of trying from Chelsea, who enjoyed the best chances of the tie, but were unable to find a breakthrough.
Madueke had started the game, but the winger was hauled off in the second half as Chelsea went in search of a winner. However, despite the disappointment, Madueke was spotted laughing with Grealish following the full-time whistle.
The response of team-mate and elder statesman Silva was in sharp contrast, with the veteran defender covering his face while he held back the tears. It was a reaction that spoke volumes, with Silva clearly distraught by Chelsea’s exit.
Manchester City v Chelsea – Emirates FA Cup Semi Final
Noni Madueke struggled to leave his mark on Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final. (Image: Getty)
It comes after Madueke was once again in the headlines for the wrong reasons earlier in the week, with the England youth international caught up in Chelsea’s penalty saga against Everton. Madueke was one of three players jostling to take a spot-kick against the Toffees – something Pochettino was quick to blast after the game.
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Lamenting his players’ immature attitudes, the Argentine coach said: “It’s a shame. I was telling the players before, when we arrived, we had a meeting with all the staff, to explain and we were talking, it’s a shame we can’t behave in this way.
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“I told them it’s the last time I accept this kind of behaviour. Involved, all out. It is impossible after a result like this to have that kind of behaviour, it shows that we are in a process, that we need to learn a lot like a team if we want to be a great team we need to think more in a collective way.”
The semi-final defeat means Chelsea will end the season trophyless, with the Blues’ hopes of qualifying for Europe also hanging by a thread. Three points separate Chelsea and sixth-placed Newcastle United, but the good news for Pochettino and co. is they do boast a game in hand over most of their European rivals.
