Josh Acheampong of Chelsea controls the ball
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea and Josh Acheampong will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they take on Sunderland this Sunday.
Over the weekend, the Blues beat Manchester United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in a much-needed victory. Prior to that, they were beaten by Liverpool on penalties in the Carabao Cup and defeated by fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Lacroix is set to miss the rest of 2026 through injury... what should Xabi Alonso do now? 😬
Switch to a back four
Well he let us down badly didn't he. We could have conceded 2 in the first half both down to his individual mistakes
Take a big bite, Lacroix, you will recover quickly when you have a good appetite. My mother has told me this from I was a child.
I don't think there is any problem with tactics. Tuchel uses three defenders, Conte uses three defenders. No problem.The thin lineup is the problem.
However, they were able to bounce back against United thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. Defensively, Chelsea were a bit shaky at times, especially in the first half.
Nevertheless, Acheampong and co were still able to keep a clean sheet, which was just their second of the season. Acheampong will now be hoping to retain his place in Xabi Alonso’s side for the trip to Sunderland, and if the young defender does that and manages to play the full 90 minutes, it will be an achievement.
READ MORE:What coaches in the England set-up are now saying about Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong
Last season, the 20-year-old played 663 minutes in the Premier League, as per Transfermarkt. Nine games into this campaign, and he has already amassed 581 minutes.
It means Acheampong will surpass the total number of minutes he racked up last term if he completes the Sunderland game. Alonso has received a fair bit of criticism since becoming Chelsea manager, but one thing he deserves praise for is his management of Acheampong.
Alonso is really utilising Acheampong at the moment, having played the England Under-21 international at both right-back and centre-back. He has put his trust in the youngster and is being rewarded for it.
Acheampong has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent performers under Alonso and put in another strong performance against United. After his display, Daniel Sturridge tipped Acheampong to become “elite”.
Acheampong will now be expected to start against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, which would be deserved given how well he has been playing of late.