Chelsea duo criticised following Sunderland’s late win as Enzo Maresca problem underlined

Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, as Enzo Maresca’s side missed the chance to close in on Arsenal

Chelsea pair Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos have come under fire for their role in Sunderland’s dramatic late victory against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Regis Le Bris’ men secured all three points thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Chemsdine Talbi after Wilson Isidor had equalised following Alejandro Garnacho’s early breakthrough.

Ex-Swansea City defender Ashley Williams praised the Black Cats but criticised Chelsea’s midfield pairing for lacking the hunger to track back and follow Sunderland’s attacking players 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 weren’t overawed. We can see from the stats here, forget that possession stat [68-32] they dominated without the ball.

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“You can see at the bottom, duels won and aerial duels won, they went to Stamford Bridge and physically they were stronger and full of confidence. I think they dominated the game without the ball.

“This is in the first two minutes of the game, they’re getting in the little gaps between Chelsea’s defence and midfield. Isidor is a problem for Chelsea. This is what I like, the reaction, the press straight away, they’re not sitting back and want to put pressure on Chelsea. They force an early mistake.

“Dan Ballard who was excellent all afternoon, stepping into midfield, calm and wants the ball again. Cucurella, who was high and inside often, left Traore. Dan Ballard picks him out, this time it comes to nothing. You can see Sunderland have gone there with the right attitude.

“When Chelsea do get possession, [Sunderland] fall back into this 5-4-1 shape but it’s not passive. They’re there, but as soon as the ball gets played back, they put pressure onto the ball. They win the ball back, and they don’t hesitate.

“They’ve got runners going forward. Again, you can see where Cucurella is, he’s nowhere near Traore. He wants to get involved in the attack and Sunderland are full of confidence at this point, they’re full of running, energy and getting shots off.

“Here, Chelsea want to play through the centre of the pitch because they’ve got quality players in their midfield. Sunderland have got bodies around the ball and they’re blocking their passing lanes. Again, aggressive in the tackle, they retain possession really well.

“Granit Xhaka was brilliant today, keep an eye on him, full of running, 33-years-old, he gets in behind, little bit of skill and he’s unlucky not to get the finish. Reinildo [was] excellent again in dealing with the wingers.

“They win the ball back right at the end. Geertruida steps in and plays a hopeful ball to Brobbey. Clears his lines, but if we keep an eye on Caicedo and Santos, the desire just isn’t there. They expect their defenders to deal with it.

“As Brobbey holds it up, he’s so strong, he gets his head up, rolls it to Talbi, great finish in the bottom corner. What a day for Sunderland. I think Regis Le Bris has done a brilliant job with his game plan today and all his players executed it well.”

Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick offered a measured perspective on Chelsea’s youthful squad and concerns over their reliability.

“I think it gets flagged up if they don’t win games,” the ex-Red Devils midfielder explained.

“I think it goes both ways, it can be a positive and a negative. I think they’ve got a fair amount of experience in the squad and in the team.

“They’ve got a World Cup winner in there. They’ve got players that have played an awful lot of Premier League games and big Champions League games as well. The challenge always is with young players – consistency.

“There’s the freshness, enthusiasm and no doubt talent within the squad. But consistency is something that you get with experience and you have to go through the process. That’s what they’re going to suffer at times and have to take that on board.

“In context, if they had won today they’d be sitting right near the top of the table. We take that with a balanced view. I’m still excited by the squad that they’ve got. But consistency is the biggest challenge.”

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