Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino wants Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling to rub their talent in Manchester City faces by celebrating if they score against their old employers in Saturday’s Etihad Stadium showdown.

Pochettino described Palmer as ‘clever’ and ‘naughty’ on Friday, adding that his £40million summer signing reminds him of Angel Di Maria in his pomp. He and Sterling both scored in November’s exhilarating 4-4 draw with City, though their celebrations were somewhat muted at Stamford Bridge.

‘If they celebrate, it’s football,’ Pochettino said on Friday. ‘If they don’t celebrate and want to show respect, OK, but I think when you score a goal you need to celebrate.

‘You showed respect when you were there and you gave everything to the club and the badge and the people. But now you defend another shirt, you need to celebrate because you are part of another history.’

Mauricio Pochettino wants his ex-Man City players to celebrate at the Etihad on Saturday

Raheem Sterling (left) and Cole Palmer (right) both had muted celebrations back in November

Palmer has been in scintillating form this season, though Sterling has disappointed, even drawing jeers from some Chelsea supporters when substituted in their 4-2 defeat by Wolves.

‘He is always positive, always helping, and that’s very important,’ Pochettino said of Sterling on Friday. ‘It’s important to have a player like that in the project.

‘It should be special to score at the Etihad but always it’s special. I don’t believe he needs to prove anything. Like Cole, they are both grateful for the period they were there and they talk very highly about the coaching staff, Pep (Guardiola) and the club, the organisation.’

On Palmer, he added: ‘Di Maria is an amazing player, a world champion and is still far away so Cole needs to improve a lot before he can reach his level. But you can see how clever he is and Di Maria was always also doing naughty things on the pitch because he’s so competitive.’

On Friday night, Chelsea supporters were scrambling for ways to get home after Saturday’s 8.15pm train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston – the only direct option to return to the capital by rail – was cancelled by Avanti West Coast.

The Etihad DJ is also not set to lift their spirits by playing Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds – the track that has grown in popularity since Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on Monday when supporters were singing it on repeat. 

City have been cheeky with their music selections in the past, apologising to Chelsea in 2019 when the DJ played One Step Beyond by Madness after their 6-0 victory – the song that accompanies Chelsea wins at Stamford Bridge.

‘Music is so important,’ Pochettino said. ‘It can change your mood, your energy, everything. We used to do it in Southampton and after in Tottenham. At the end of each training session, we would make them run with music.

Avanti West Coast have cancelled their Saturday 8.15pm service from Manchester to Euston

Nicolas Jackson will get a two-game ban if he is handed a 10th yellow card on Saturday

‘We put a big speaker in the middle of the pitch and run with all the players choosing different music. “OK, come on, now we suffer with music.” We put the music and they run and were so happy. Here, we still haven’t done it, but maybe one day we will.’

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson will be slapped with a two-game ban in the Premier League if he is handed a 10th yellow card on Saturday. Only one of the nine cautions he has received was for a foul, with the others shown for reasons such as waving imaginary cards and complaining.

Jackson’s ninth yellow was arguably his strangest yet – shown to him for sprinting from the substitutes’ bench and across the pitch to celebrate Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time goal at Selhurst Park.

Pochettino said: ‘It is bad, but it is good. He showed he cared. He expressed his happiness and did not think he was going to be booked. He’s young. He wants to share with the fans. I prefer this than him on the bench sad that he didn’t score.’