Chelsea failed to close the gap at the top of the Premier League as Sunderland scored in the 93rd minute to secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Alejandro Garnacho gave Chelsea an early lead as he latched onto Pedro Neto’s pass before finishing from a tight angle to give the Blues the perfect start.
However, despite Chelsea’s dominance, it was Sunderland who’d strike next as Wilson Isidor capitalised on a long throw from Nordi Mukiele to bring the visitors level after 22 minutes.
Chelsea struggled to break Sunderland down after the break, and the Black Cats struck right at the death to steal all three points as substitute Talbi swept home.
Struggle: Marc Guiu
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Energetic Marc Guiu fails to take his chance
Marc Guiu was given a rude awakening on his first Premier League start after an ineffectual performance against his former club.
Guiu spent 26 days on loan at Sunderland before being recalled by Chelsea at the end of August, following Liam Delap’s hamstring injury and the departures of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku.
The 19-year-old hasn’t found minutes easy to come by since his return to Chelsea, with Maresca saying in his pre-match press conference that he had criticised the striker’s application in training, but he was handed an opportunity as Chelsea chased a fifth successive win in all competitions.
Guiu, though, floundered as he struggled to link up with Chelsea’s attackers on an afternoon where the Blues looked worryingly disjointed.
Guiu scored his first Champions League goal on Wednesday as Chelsea thrashed 10-man Ajax at Stamford Bridge, but against a determined and battle-hardened Sunderland side, the young striker looked lost.
Despite a performance full of energy, pressing Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs with intent from the first whistle, Guiu took just 10 touches during his 76 minutes on the pitch, with just two of those coming inside the opposition penalty area.
Maresca had called Guiu a traditional No9 in his pre-match press conference, but up against a solid Sunderland rearguard, he struggled to make his impact felt.
With Liam Delap closing in on a return to fitness, this was an opportunity you felt Guiu needed to take.
On target: Wilson Isidor
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Chelsea undone by another long throw
Long throws continue to be the undoing of this Chelsea side, who, despite their obvious promise, are their own worst enemies defensively.
Maresca cut a relaxed figure when asked about Sunderland’s strength from long throws in his pre-match press conference, but admitted they had worked on defending the set-piece situation after conceding late on from a long throw against Brentford last month.
Few lessons seem to have been learned from their draw with Brentford, though, as Sunderland struck with their first long throw of what had been up to that point a dominant Chelsea performance.
Mukiele hurled the ball into the box, it was half cleared by Josh Acheampomg before a scramble ensued with the ball breaking to Isidor to finish from close range.
It was a soft goal for Chelsea, who had been in complete control up to that point, to concede, and it felt symptomatic of their defensive issues this season, which have been much of their own making.
Maresca appeared to downplay the significance of long throws, saying he had no plans for his side to utilise them, but with Sunderland growing into the game after their equaliser, the impact a long throw can have will not be lost on the Chelsea head coach.
Maresca acknowledged that Chelsea may have to evolve their approach to long throws; his young side seems a little behind the times in this regard.
Huff and puff: Enzo Fernandez
REUTERS
Chelsea fail to underline title credentials
Chelsea came into this afternoon’s game hoping to close the gap to league leaders Arsenal to two points.
Instead, it was Sunderland who moved into second place after a miraculous late victory at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca hailed a special night after Chelsea’s teenagers came to the fore during their 5-1 demolition of Ajax.
Against Sunderland, though, they showed signs of their age as a disjointed performance was ruthlessly punished by Regis Le Bris’ side.
Guiu, leading the line on his first Premier League start, epitomised Chelsea’s struggles, and why his commitment can’t be in doubt; his execution and movement left a lot to be desired.
The cries of ‘come on Estevao’ after his introduction in the second half show the unhealthy level of expectation placed on Chelsea’s youngest star.
Maresca is right to be careful with his development, stating that he must understand he can’t start every game.
Chelsea’s young squad are undoubtedly talented; they have shown that in spells this season. Young players, though, lack fluency and consistency.
Any talk of a title push is definitely premature, with Chelsea’s players still trying to figure each other out after another busy summer of spending.
