Sportsmail columnist Chris Sutton singled out two Chelsea gamers throughout the Blues’ 2-0 defeat by Real Madrid on the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, lambasting them ‘light-weight’.
The guests didn’t get on the scoresheet as a misfiring assault noticed the Blues make solely seven whole photographs at Thibaut Courtois’ purpose to Madrid’s 18.
Mason Mount got here closest with an in depth vary strike shortly after he was introduced onto the pitch, however was denied by a ferocious block from his former team-mate Antonio Rudiger.
With the end result leaving Frank Lampard’s facet dangerously near lacking out on their final likelihood at silverware this season, Sutton had Chelsea’s attacking forces in his sights throughout his protection of the match for BBC Radio 5 Live.
In explicit, Sutton took umbrage with the facet’s two-man assault partnership of Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling, believing the pair supplied ‘nothing’.
Neither Joao Felix (L) nor Raheem Sterling impressed Chris Sutton throughout Chelsea’ limp loss
Chelsea’s 10-man exhibiting in Madrid left the facet with quite a bit to do forward of the second-leg
Sportsmail columnist Sutton famous that the Blues had been ‘too light-weight’ in assault
‘Chelsea are too light-weight up on the high. Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling have supplied nothing on this second half,’ the pundit stated throughout his commentary.
After the ultimate whistle, Sutton added: ‘I am unable to bear in mind one time tonight when Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix linked up.’
Both gamers had been swapped out within the sixty fifth minute, for Kai Havertz and Trevoh Chalobah respectively, after the failing to enhance on their first half showings within the second.
In his post-match press convention, Lampard additionally highlighted the pairing, saying that that they had had a ‘powerful match’.
‘The sport for Raheem, and Joao Felix was a troublesome match. The system we performed defensively, the lads of obtained lots of work.
‘It was a troublesome night time for us on the high finish of the pitch. Joao is an enormous expertise, as is Raheem, I’m not right here to criticise [the performances] an excessive amount of. We’ll go away and analyse it.’
But critics past the membership had far harsher assessments of his forwards’ performances.
French newspaper L’Equipe branded Felix, who has been on mortgage on the membership since January, ‘a failure’ whereas Spanish outlet Marca referred to as the 23-year-old ‘forgettable’ in his first journey again to the capital since his transfer from Atletico Madrid.
Under their notorious ranking system, the Portuguese winger was handed a 3/10 ranking, with to Sterling’s 4/10.
Manager Frank Lampard tried to stay to the positives throughout his post-match press convention
The end result signifies that Lampard’s facet have failed to attain of their final 4 matches throughout all competitions and fingers them their worst run of type in 30 years.
Undoubtedly missing confidence, the Blues don’t have any lesser opponents than high-flying Brighton to face on Saturday earlier than the competitors’s second-leg tie at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard may have one tactical resolution made for him forward of Tuesday night time as he plots the overhaul crucial to remain within the competitors.
After choosing up a straight purple card for fouling the final man on Wednesday night, Ben Chillwell will likely be unavailable for rivalry as Chelsea desperately cling to their final hope of European soccer subsequent season.
