It wasn’t lengthy after the compulsory post-match handshakes that Liam Rosenior headed down the tunnel, and that was no actual shock. His Chelsea workforce had been nearly as good as Metropolis earlier than the interval however then caved in a second half that may massively concern the pinnacle coach, hierarchy, gamers and followers alike.
Metropolis take recreation away from Chelsea
An attractive end-to-end battle was nonetheless at a impasse when the gamers headed for the dressing rooms. Pep Guardiola has given extra workforce talks in his time than Rosenior, although, and he appeared to awaken his workforce in a method the Englishman couldn’t.
Chelsea got here again from the interval wanting torpid, Metropolis a renewed and replenished pressure. From two excellent assists by the enigmatic Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi made it 1-0 and 2-0 within the area of six second-half minutes and immediately Chelsea’s sturdy footing in an important recreation within the race for Champions League soccer was gone.
Rayan Cherki picked Chelsea aside within the second half
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Their precarious place, two targets down, bought worse, not higher. Moises Caicedo ceded possession to Jeremy Doku, and the Belgian wolfed up the possibility to notch Metropolis’s third and place actual strain on Arsenal within the title race — in addition to on Chelsea, within the immediacy, for his or her dreadful latest kind.
The Blues’ final win over Metropolis stays the 2021 Champions League last, and for the primary time in additional than 18 years, they’ve now misplaced three consecutive league video games with out scoring a objective alongside the best way.
Chelsea unpicked with out Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez served the second match of his two-game club-imposed ban for his unprofessional feedback about Actual Madrid, and with Frank Lampard watching his two former groups from the consolation of the administrators’ field, it was in midfield the place Chelsea left gaping holes in a brutal second-half.
Rosenior mentioned there are nonetheless hurdles to beat earlier than Fernandez has totally made it as much as the workforce. That’s honest sufficient. However you may not assist however really feel his affect would have been a serious assistance on this mightily powerful day for all in blue.
Andrey Santos scampered in regards to the pitch and screened the defence however was pinched of the ball slightly too typically, and it was his extra skilled midfield companion Caicedo who dedicated the worst offence of that ilk when he gave the ball as much as Doku simply 30 yards from objective.
Doku made it 3-0 and a second-half education for a Chelsea workforce who stay such a distance off Metropolis’s stage.
Encouraging indicators down the left
There was encouragement down the left flank from Chelsea, significantly within the first half, and though that would not even get them remotely near a consequence on the day, it could be one thing to construct from within the remaining weeks of the season.
Marc Cucurella’s attacking impetus gave Chelsea trigger for optimism
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The sport’s first half-chance got here when Cole Palmer struck into the side-netting from a decent angle on the left, and shortly sufficient Chelsea had the ball at the back of the web by way of Marc Cucurella, who bought free following good work by Joao Pedro. Pedro Neto, shortly after, compelled save from the identical spot.
And two probabilities within the second interval, with Chelsea chasing the sport, each got here down the identical flank and each fell to Cucurella — one of many Blues’ higher performers on a day to neglect.
One was a shot from distance which whistled simply broad, then Gianluigi Donnarumma parried the second. Chelsea couldn’t discover the web however to name them totally toothless can be barely harsh. Down that left wing, they possessed a minimum of some menace.