After a dominant 5-1 win over Ajax in midweek, Chelsea took an early lead at Stamford Bridge thanks to Alejandro Garnacho, who netted his first goal since arriving from Manchester United. ..Continue Reading
Sunderland equalized in the 22nd minute through Wilson Isidor, and in stoppage time, Chemsdine Talbi sealed the win with a last-gasp strike.
Set up by Bryan Brobbey, Talbi’s composed finish sent the away fans into celebration and lifted Sunderland to second in the league after a strong start.
The result was a bitter pill for the reigning Club World Cup winners, especially after Maresca substituted Josh Acheampong for Tosin Adarabioyo in the 76th minute — just before the decisive goal.
Given the teenager’s recent form, many Chelsea fans believed the change was a costly mistake that contributed to the defeat.
One fan on X wrote: “Acheampong having the game of his life then Maresca takes him off for no reason.”
A second fumed: “Why the F*** did Maresca take Acheampong off when he is CLEARLY our best CB defending transitions???”
A furious third added: “Maresca better tell me Acheampong couldn’t continue or something I don’t care if it’s a lie. Sack him if that was a tactical change.”
A final user commented: “Josh Acheampong faced this kinda situation a number of times today and dealt with them well. Chalobah and Tosin are absolutely awful.”
Following a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton on 27 September, Chelsea bounced back with four consecutive wins across all competitions — including a thrilling victory over Liverpool.
However, they fell short in Saturday’s early fixture, and Maresca acknowledged that his team didn’t meet expectations.
“I think we were in general, we were not good enough,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference.
“When you are not good enough in the Premier League, the consequence can be a bad one. When you can’t win, it’s important you don’t lose.
“The second goal is not a transition, it’s a long ball and we don’t defend properly. The first goal is from a throw-in because they have six, seven or eight players in the box. It’s difficult. We were not good enough.”
Chelsea now shift focus to Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Wolves, followed by a Premier League showdown with Spurs on Saturday.
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