Chelsea is unstable from defense to offense

27/10/2025 08:42:00 FieldFrenzy

Chelsea’s 4-match winning streak was snapped by a 1-2 defeat to newly promoted Sunderland. This loss highlighted many problems for Enzo Maresca’s team, affecting both offense and defense, and raising doubts about their goals this season.

Wins against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest had instilled confidence in Chelsea’s supporters that Maresca’s squad could capitalize on the turmoil at the top of the table to fight for the title. However, Chelsea’s poor performance against Sunderland showed the team is still too inexperienced and unstable.

The instability begins with the attack, where Chelsea have an abundance of options. Joao Pedro remains a puzzling choice for Maresca despite enduring his worst run of form since arriving at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian forward’s last goal was nearly two months ago in a 3-0 victory over Fulham. Including the Sunderland game, the ex-Brighton player has now gone six Premier League matches without scoring. Even more concerning, across 11 matches in all competitions, Pedro has only recorded 3 shots on target, failing to hit the target in his last three games. He has barely had any presence inside Sunderland’s box, touching the ball only three times there. Once expected to solve Chelsea’s scoring issues, Pedro has become a liability, though his work ethic is unquestioned. Deploying him as the number 10 against Sunderland was an unreasonable choice, especially since Maresca still has Estevao, the more suitable option for that position while Cole Palmer remains sidelined with injury.

Chelsea is unstable in multiple positions, including Joao Pedro, who has now gone six games without scoring.

All of this quickly overshadowed Alejandro Garnacho’s first goal for Chelsea. Coach Maresca is eagerly awaiting the return of Liam Delap. Young talent Marc Guiu, after an impressive showing against Ajax, appeared too inexperienced in his first Premier League start against Sunderland, managing only 10 touches in total.

While the attack only needs a better personnel arrangement to function smoothly, the defensive situation is far more complicated. Since September 20th, Chelsea have tried four different center-back pairings: Fofana-Chalobah in the loss to Manchester United, Chalobah-Hato in the defeat against Brighton, Acheampong-Badiashile in the win over Liverpool, and Chalobah-Acheampong in the matches against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland. Rotating center-backs is rarely done by coaches as it risks disrupting defensive stability. Chelsea have been forced into this due to Chalobah’s red card in the Brighton loss, Badiashile’s injury, Fofana’s inconsistent fitness, and the absence of their best center-back, Colwill, who has yet to return.

In the recent match against Sunderland, the Acheampong-Chalobah duo made mistakes leading to goals. Acheampong failed to anticipate Mukiele’s long throw-in, which set up Isidor’s equalizer, while Chalobah’s lax marking allowed Sunderland to score the winning goal in the 90+3rd minute. Chelsea’s defensive frailties explain why Maresca’s team has dropped 8 points after leading games — the highest tally in the Premier League so far this season.

Adding to their woes, the midfield failed to control possession and dictate the game, resulting in a forgettable match against the newly promoted side. This has raised doubts about whether Chelsea are truly ready to compete for the Premier League title. Even the race for a top-four finish now seems at risk!

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