Chelsea suffered a devastating 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, leaving manager Xabi Alonso frustrated. They sit fifth on the Premier League table.
The Blues could have sealed a second straight league win and consolidated a top-four spot before the last international break of the year.
Unfortunately, Chelsea lacked a competitive edge and, unsurprisingly, lost to a side that wanted the three points more that day.
Several Chelsea players were unconvincing, especially Jordan Henderson, who did nothing notable in the middle of the park.
The 36-year-old made the fewest defensive contributions of the midfield trio (2). No starter recorded fewer. Romeo Lavia had 10, and Moises Caicedo had 13.
Even Cole Palmer, who had one of his worst performances in blue, registered four defensive contributions.
For some reason, Henderson was praised even though he had the slowest top speed of the outfield players, in a match that needed an extra oomph.
He was brought in to help win the midfield battle but was poor and had no business being on the pitch until the 87th minute, when Emanuel Emegha came on.
Alonso must now recognise that Chelsea’s best midfield combination is a pivot of Caicedo and Lavia.
If properly calibrated, the pair have enough quality, physicality and tactical intelligence to win almost any midfield battle, both on and off the ball.
Caicedo provides aggression, ball-winning ability, passing mastery, and defensive protection.
Lavia offers composure, press resistance, and the added physicality to help Chelsea progress through the thirds.
Together, when fit, they can give the Blues the balance they need to compete against any side.
Henderson and Valentin Barco should be back-up options rather than regular starters in central midfield.
Playing Henderson alongside Lavia and Caicedo offers little extra penetration. The veteran often looks like a passenger.
Alonso needs to prioritise mobility, technical quality and forward progression. Chelsea cannot afford to keep compromising their midfield balance.
Stats from Fotmob