Chelsea mascot left to walk alone! Blues blame Liverpool as young boy is abandoned on Anfield pitch during pre-match rendition of club anthem

Chelsea players have been facing flak on social media after a video surfaced showing the club's mascot, a young boy, seemingly being left on his own during Liverpool's anthem ahead of their 4-1 defeat to the Reds.

The boy looked clueless while standing near the centre circle before he decided to run off the pitch with the players busy high-fiving each other before taking their respective positions.

Chelsea have responded to the charges while insisting that each club has a matchday coordinator responsible for mascots. They clarified that the Wolves mascot would be under their care during the upcoming Premier League game and emphasised that it's the coordinator's responsibility, not the players', to look after mascots.

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley was furious and wrote on X: "Who’s supposed to be looking after this kid? Cmon it’s their big day out. What a shame."

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust reached out to the mascot's parents and shared an update that read: "We have spoken with the mascot's mum. Regardless of 'who was responsible' - this should not have happened. We will ensure that this wrong is made right!"

According to Premier League protocols, mascot coordinators remain on the touchline, ensuring mascots join club captains as players walk out. While Liverpool's mascot was looked after by Virgil van Dijk, the video suggests a lapse by Chelsea's Ben Chilwell, potentially due to his unfamiliarity with captaincy duties after a prolonged absence from action due to a hamstring injury.

Chelsea have already contacted the family so that the young boy can get the opportunity to be the captain's mascot for another game to make amends for the previous error. However, it is not known whether he has been invited for the Wolves game on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.