Chelsea lost 2-1 to Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as Enzo Maresca’s side missed a chance to close in on Arsenal.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo and Andrei Santos have come under fire for their role in Sunderland’s dramatic late win against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Regis Le Bris’ side secured all three points with a stoppage-time goal from Kemzuddin Talbi, after Wilson Isidore equalized following an early breakthrough from Alejandro Garnacho.
Former Swansea City defender Ashley Williams praised the Black Cats, but criticized Chelsea’s midfield pair for lacking the greed to track down and chase Sunderland’s attackers in the dying moments.
“They (Sunderland) were very good today,” Williams said on Match of the Day. “I think they had the right attitude. They didn’t get too intimidated. You can see it in the stats here, forget the possession stats (68-32) where they dominated without the ball.”
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“As you can see at the bottom, they won both duels and aerial duels. They went to Stamford Bridge and were physically stronger and more confident. I think they dominated the game without the ball.”
“This is the first two minutes of the game and they get into small gaps between Chelsea’s defense and midfield. Isidore is a problem for Chelsea. That’s what I like about them. They react, they press right away. They don’t let up and they try to put pressure on Chelsea. They force mistakes early on.”
“Dan Ballard was great all afternoon, stepped into midfield, calmed down and wanted the ball again. Cucurella, who was up high and often inside, left Traore. Dan Ballard picked him out and this time it didn’t do him any good. You can see Sunderland went there with the right attitude.”
“When Chelsea have possession,[Sunderland]go back to this 5-4-1 shape, but it’s not passive. They’re there, but as soon as the ball is played back, they put pressure on the ball. They win the ball back, and they don’t hesitate.”
“They have runners in front. Again, you see where Cucurella is. He’s not near Traore. He wants to be part of the attack and Sunderland are full of confidence at the moment. They’re running, they’re full of energy, they’re full of taking shots.”
“Here, Chelsea want to play in the center of the pitch because they have quality players in midfield. Sunderland are putting bodies around the ball and blocking passing lanes. Again, with active tackling, they keep the ball really well.”
“Granit Xhaka was great today. Look at him, he’s running as hard as he can. 33 years old, he comes in from the back, he has a little bit of skill, but it’s unfortunate that he couldn’t finish. Reinild was once again great with his response to the wingers.”
“They won the ball back at the last moment. Geertruida stepped in and gave Blobby the ball they wanted. They cleared his line, but if you look at Caicedo and Santos, the desire wasn’t there. They expected the defenders to deal with it.”
“When Blobby sets up, he’s very strong. He heads it up and rolls it to Talbi and it’s a great finish under the corner. It was a great day for Sunderland. I think Regis Le Bris did a great job with his game plan today and all the players executed it well.”
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Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick has given a cautious view on concerns over Chelsea’s young team and their reliability.
“I think if we don’t win games then the flag will go up,” the former Red Devils midfielder explained.
“I think it goes both ways. It can be a positive or a negative. I think they have quite a bit of experience within and within the team.”
“They have World Cup winners, they have players who have played so many Premier League games and big Champions League games. The challenge with young players is always consistency.
“There’s freshness, enthusiasm and definitely talent in the team. But consistency comes with experience and you have to go through a process. That’s what they struggle with sometimes and you have to accept that.”
“In context, if they had won today they would have been right at the top of the table. We take that in a balanced way. I’m still excited about their team. But consistency is the biggest challenge.”
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