Chelsea have condemned “hateful chanting” from home supporters aimed at Liverpool fans during Tuesday night’s clash at Stamford Bridge.
In the first match since Graham Potter’s departure, the two sides once again played out a goalless draw, with Reece James and Kai Havertz having goals ruled out in what was another performance full of wasteful finishing.
However, it was matters of the pitch that became a focus after the match, as Chelsea released a statement soon after the full-time whistle addressing chants heard from certain sections of the ground.
“Chelsea FC condemns the inappropriate chants heard from some home fans during this evening’s game,” a statement from the club read.
“Hateful chanting has no place in football and we apologise to anyone who has been offended by them.”
Chants referencing the Hillsborough disaster were heard during the match, with the Premier League offering their own response after Chelsea’s statement.
“The Premier League condemns the tragedy chanting heard at tonight’s match between Chelsea and Liverpool,” a tweet from the League’s official Twitter account read.
“We continue to treat this as an unacceptable issue and are seeking to address it as a priority.”
It comes just a few days after Manchester City criticised sections of their support after similar chants were heard at the Etihad Stadium during Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side. City emphasised their desire to “eradicate hateful chanting” from the fixture, and said they were “disappointed” in the fans involved.
