Inconsistency Haunts Chelsea After Defeat to Sunderland
Chelsea struggled to maintain their previous momentum, suffering a setback with a 0-0 draw against Sunderland. The Blues were unable to capitalize on their impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester United from the prior week, following a disappointing loss to Tottenham just seven days ago.
The team continues to deal with injury woes, missing forward Joao Pedro due to a thigh injury. Cole Palmer, who was not selected for the latest England squad by Thomas Tuchel, and Morgan Rogers also failed to make a significant impact in the match.
During the first half, Rogers had a promising opportunity to score but sent a free header wide of the target. Palmer believed that Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty in the 25th minute when he was challenged by Luke O’Nien just outside the area. Although the referee initially allowed play to continue, the Video Assistant Referee reviewed the incident. It concluded that O’Nien did foul Palmer, but it was determined that the foul occurred outside the penalty area before Palmer fell into the box.
Despite taking 10 shots throughout the match, Chelsea struggled to create clear chances. Following this draw, they now find themselves two points away from the top four.
