Fans were left appalled by the actions of Chelsea players towards their own mascot before the game against Liverpool.
Liverpool secured a 4-1 victory on the night, maintaining their position at the top of the table, and they could have widened the margin further, hitting the woodwork four times.
Diogo Jota scored the opener with an assist from Conor Bradley, and the full-back later scored a remarkable goal to double Liverpool’s lead.
In the second half, Dominik Szoboszlai extended the lead to 3-0, courtesy of another Bradley assist. Although Chelsea managed to pull one back, Diaz sealed the victory for Liverpool in the 79th minute.
However, it was an incident before the game that ignited fans’ anger. During the “You’ll Never Walk Alone” anthem before kick-off, viral footage on social media showed Chelsea players neglecting their own mascot for a team huddle.
After the discussion, the players assumed their positions for kick-off without paying attention to the mascot, who looked lost before eventually jogging off the pitch.
Watch the incident below:
Chelsea letting their mascot walk alone when YNWA is ringing in their ears. pic.twitter.com/x4KPjcPuMG
— Davolaa (@Davolaar) February 1, 2024
The attitude from Chelsea players has been slammed by former players as well as fans.
Former Liverpool man John Aldridge tweeted: “Unbelievable!! The poor boy is lost, somewhat like the team he supports!!”
One Chelsea fan tagged the club and posted: “@ChelseaFC sort this out and atleast try to show some dignity and contact this poor kid family immediately. Disgrace!”