Merson criticises Chelsea after shock 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland
Former Arsenal midfielder and pundit Paul Merson launched a harsh critique of Chelsea following their unexpected 2–1 loss at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
Chelsea had taken an early lead through Alejandro Garnacho in the 4th minute, but Sunderland responded with an equaliser by Wilson Isidor in the 22nd minute and sealed the win in stoppage time when Chemsdine Talbi found the net.
Merson was particularly scathing of Chelsea’s lack of ideas and consistency. He argued that the Blues “ran out of ideas” and lacked a true focal point in attack, singling out Chelsea’s young striker Marc Guiu, who started up front, as having touched the ball only “nine, ten” times. “You can’t do that in a team that are supposed to be dominating the ball,” Merson said.
He emphasised the wider issue of Chelsea’s youth and inexperience in key positions, stating that the absence of striker Liam Delap has left the team lacking a proper target man. “They need Delap back badly, they need a focal point,” he declared.
The defeat has consequences beyond just one match: Chelsea now sit eighth in the Premier League standings, and Merson argued that their performance raised serious doubts about their title-challenge credentials.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admitted the team were “not good enough” and accepted that the decisive second goal stemmed in part from poor defending in a 2-v-1 situation late in the game.