Chelsea’s loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge in the Chelsea vs Sunderland Premier League clash on Saturday, October 25, left them in eighth position in the Premier League table. The Blues now have 14 points from nine matches, having lost three of those matches.
Chelsea’s loss to Sunderland came despite Enzo Maresca’s men scoring early through Alejandro Garnacho. Sunderland scored once in each half to secure the win and move up to the second position with 17 points from nine matches.
Chelsea vs Sunderland: The Impact of Cole Palmer’s Absence
The absence of an injured Cole Palmer hurt the hosts in the Chelsea vs Sunderland match.
Enzo Fernandez played as the No. 10 and proved once again that he was no No. 10. Enzo Maresca’s men lacked creativity in the middle of the pitch, and playing a long ball to Garnacho on the left flank was often their primary creative outlet.
Marc Cucurella often moved inside to position himself alongside Joao Pedro as Chelsea’s second striker at times, but it did not help his team’s cause. Cucurella was on the receiving end of a cross in an advantageous position once, but his first touch betrayed him.
Speaking of Joao Pedro, the Brazilian looked out of sorts as the No. 9. He will probably be more comfortable playing as the No. 10, which will offer him more space in the middle of the park. The Brazilian is clearly not very comfortable working amid tight marking inside the opposition’s penalty box. He has scored two goals in 11 matches so far this season, which is clearly not a good enough return for a top target-man.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Liam Delap is injured as well, which means that they cannot replace Pedro with him at the top of their attack either. Moises Caicedo keeps doing some splendid work for them as a defensive midfielder, but cannot provide enough assistance in creating moves for his team.
Pedro Neto has not been very influential either, despite having some serious pace on the right flank. Chelsea replaced him with Estevao, their most creative player alongside Palmer, in the second half, but that did not prove to be enough.
In comparison, in the Chelsea vs Sunderland game, the Black Cats looked more incisive with their passing and sliced open Chelsea’s defence a few times. They have been a revelation this season and have been making the most of their promotion to the Premier League. Chelsea’s loss was ensured when Sunderland scored a late winner.
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A Big Fixture Awaits
Further trouble could be in store for Chelsea, as they lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur on November 1. Prior to that, they have a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.
Maresca cannot afford to lose either of those two matches. Finishing outside the top six is really not an option for him. Although the end of the season is a long time away, he cannot afford to lose points at this point.
For the West Londoners, it has become imperative that Palmer returns to action as soon as possible. Otherwise, they run the risk of slipping further back in the Premier League table. Their supporters will hope for a reversal in their fortunes soon enough.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / IPS
Recording Date: 25.10.2025