Chelsea’s seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions came crashing to an end on Sunday as they lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League.
The Blues had not lost a game since their 2-1 defeat to Servette in a Europa Conference League play-off clash in August, and had not lost in the league since they were beaten by Manchester City on the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign.
Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot after 29 minutes. Levi Colwill clumsily caught Curtis Jones inside the box and gave the referee no choice but to award the spot-kick.
Enzo Maresca’s side rallied well, however, after the half-time break and equalised in the 48th minute. Nicolas Jackson bent his run brilliantly to stay onside and finished superbly under pressure from Moises Caicedo’s through ball.
The Blues let themselves down just three minutes later, though, as their entire defence switched off and allowed Curtis Jones to run in-behind, from Mo Salah’s pass, and slot the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea were unable to get themselves back into the game over the next 40 minutes or so and the manager must now make some ruthless changes to his team, starting between the sticks.
Why Robert Sanchez should be dropped
The Spanish goalkeeper must be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI in the upcoming Europa Conference League game, and for the club’s next Premier League match.
Chelsea host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge in the league next weekend and their clash with Panathinaikos on Thursday is a good opportunity to hand players an audition to start in that game.
Filip Jorgensen could secure a place in the starting line-up for the clash with the Magpies with a strong performance against the Greek side, given Sanchez’s disappointing form this term.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion flop made several sloppy passes out from the back, completing 81% of his attempted passes, and was far too hesitant in coming out to challenge Jones, making it easy for the midfielder to score the winner.
It is far from his first questionable performance in a Chelsea shirt this season, either, as the 26-year-old dud has made two errors that have directly led to goals and given away a penalty in eight Premier League appearances.
The underperforming Spaniard has also lost 50% of his ground duels in the division, which shows that he has not been convincing when coming out to claim the ball – as shown in the controversial incident with Jones in the first half on Sunday.
As you can see in the clip above, the goalkeeper appeared to bring the midfielder down at first glance and a penalty was awarded, but the replays showed that he did get the slightest touch on the ball and the penalty was overturned.
Maresca must now drop him from the starting XI for Jorgensen, provided the goalkeeper puts in a solid display on Thursday night, against Newcastle next weekend.
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Alongside Sanchez, Tosin Adarabioyo is another underwhelming performer who should be ditched from the line-up against the Magpies – and in Europe.
Tosin Adarabioyo's performance against Liverpool
The towering central defender was brought into the starting line-up against the Reds and failed to justify the manager’s decision to place his faith in him.
Brought in from Fulham on a free transfer in the summer, Adarabioyo had a huge opportunity to show the head coach, and the fanbase, that he has what it takes to emerge as a key player for the Premier League giants moving forward.
Unfortunately, he switched off at a key moment as the ex-Cottagers star, who was handed a 5/10 player rating by GOAL, allowed Jones to run off the back of him to get in behind the defence for the winning goal.
As you can see in the graphic above, Adarabioyo was incredibly passive throughout the match at Anfield, with zero tackles, interceptions, and duels won.
He lost 100% of his duels and was substituted by Maresca in the 53rd minute, shortly after his mistake allowed Jones to score the winner, and the Italian boss must now take the centre-back out of the starting XI for the next two games.
Tosin Adarabioyo's performances this season
His struggles against Liverpool were not a one-off. The former Fulham colossus’ performances in the Premier League have been less than convincing since he made the switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Adarabioyo has made four appearances in the division for the Blues so far and, despite standing at a towering 6 foot 5, is yet to win a single aerial duel. He has lost 100% of his aerial contests and that is, simply, not good enough for a centre-back in a team that wants to be challenging for trophies.
The 27-year-old flop has also averaged just 0.8 tackles and interceptions combined per match, which further illustrates his passive approach to defending.
His lack of involvement defensively, and his frailty in individual duels, means that he is not making a positive impact for Chelsea from a defensive perspective, which is why he should be dropped from the team.
Wesley Fofana served a one-match ban, having picked up five yellow cards in the Premier League ahead of the clash with Liverpool, and should be brought straight back into the starting XI ahead of Adarabioyo.
Appearances
4
7
Tackles + interceptions per game
0.8
2.3
Ball recoveries per game
1.8
4.1
Clearances per game
2.0
3.9
Aerial duel success rate
0%
69%
As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman has significantly outperformed his teammate as a right-sided centre-back in the league this term.
He has been far more active defensively, which means that the former Leicester star is more likely to cut out attacks and prevent his goalkeeper from being worked, and more dominant in aerial duels – winning 69% of his battles.
Therefore, Maresca must instantly ditch Adarabioyo from the starting XI and immediately bring Fofana straight back into the line-up against Newcastle.
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