Former Chelsea flop forced to explain himself after he is spotted sitting with Man City fans for defeat at Etihad

CHELSEA flop Danny Drinkwater has sparked a row after sitting with Manchester City fans and appearing to call his old club a circus.

The former England midfielder saw City dent the Blues' top four hopes with a 3-1 comeback win at the Etihad.

Drinkwater is far from a favorite with Chelsea supporters after a dismal spell at Stamford Bridge from 2017-2022 following his £35million move from Leicester.

And fans who thought he was a waste of money were seething again after seeing him with home fans in Saturday's crucial Premier League match.

Drinkwater justified his actions afterwards on social media – but his explanation caused even more dissatisfaction.

The now retired star, 34, posted on Instagram: “For the @Chelsea fans asking why I'm in the City… I asked the club for tickets!?! I didn't receive any.”

Drinkwater then expressed his feelings by adding two emojis: a circus and an eye roll.

That did not go down well with fans who recalled his anonymous, injury-hit six years at Stamford Bridge.

But other supporters criticized Chelsea's treatment of Drinkwater last weekend as evidence of the “disrespectful” way former players are treated under Clearlake, the club's majority owner.

The three-cap ace's fortunes took a turn both on and off the pitch as he immediately swapped the 2015/2016 Prem title for Leicester for Stamford Bridge.

And one fan said of his 'snug' at the Etihad: “Why would they give him tickets lol.”

Another wrote: “He got fed up with the club. They gave him a nice retirement package.”

A third wrote: “I wouldn't give him tickets either. He can damn well buy them with the wages he gets.”

A fourth added: “If he really wanted to support the club then I don't see any harm in him buying a ticket.” A fifth chuckled: “Did him dirty.. Didn't do anything of note for the club.”

But despite Drinkwater being such a costly outsider at Chelsea, the Etihad episode led some supporters to point the finger at the current reign of Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake at Stamford Bridge.

One fan said: “Clearlake has no respect for former Chelsea players, get them out.”

Another demanded the same: “Get the owners out of here” – followed by two clown emojis.

Drinkwater has described his humble origins at Chelsea as “the darkest thing I had ever felt. It was like I was drowning and forgot how to swim”.

And his life off the field has also been beset by a series of difficulties in recent years.

In 2019, he was banned from driving for 20 months after admitting drink-driving following a crash in his Range Rover that injured his two passengers.

And in September that year, Drinkwater was attacked outside a Manchester nightclub, suffering head injuries and ankle ligament damage.

Then in November 2023, just a week after he quit playing, The Sun revealed how he lost £782,000 through a failed restaurant business.

Drinkwater is now working as a project developer.