Chelsea saw their four-game winning streak come to an end at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues struggling badly against newly promoted Sunderland.
Chelsea took the lead in the fourth minute, then struggled to create anything of note, and the visitors brought their A-game, capitalising on Enzo Maresca’s side’s shortcomings.
The equaliser came via a long throw, and they jabbed and jabbed before landing the dagger blow in the dying minutes, thanks to horrendous defending.
No side has dropped more points from winning positions in the PL this season than Chelsea (8).
Several Chelsea players were not up to par, and Maresca himself admitted as much.
Journalists presented Joao Pedro‘s case to the Italian tactician at the post-match press conference.
He has been on a long goal drought and is clearly struggling, losing all three of his aerial duels today and failing to register a shot.
However, Maresca revealed the Brazilian is carrying an injury, which is likely causing this struggle.
Maresca said (via Football London), “I think Joao is not training every day because he is managing an injury problem. Moi is the same, Enzo is the same.
“We have four or five players that have some problems and cannot work every day.
“They try to make the effort and play the game. Joao struggled a little bit today, but all of the players did today, so it’s not just Joao.”
Chelsea have now spent over £1.5 billion assembling this squad, yet the team continues to deliver uninspiring attacking performances that defy belief.
For all the talk of a long-term project and youthful potential, there remains a glaring lack of firepower and creativity in the final third, especially without Cole Palmer.
The Blues are toothless when it matters most, unable to turn possession into penetration or convert dominance into goals.
This isn’t just a tactical issue. It’s a damning reflection of how poorly Chelsea have allocated their funds.
Instead of investing in proven, top-level match-winners, the club’s scattergun approach to recruitment has left Maresca with a bloated but unbalanced squad.
The squad is short on genuine cutting-edge and attacking maturity, and the problem starts with the sporting directors.