“How can you lose after you lead 2-1, concede two stupid goals like that?” – Former Chelsea star unhappy after defeat to West Ham
Chelsea saw their title aspirations suffer a hit when they fell to a 3-2 defeat away to London rivals West Ham United on Saturday. The Blues took a 2-1 lead at half-time through goals from Thiago Silva and Mason Mount. However, a second-half fightback saw the Hammers claim all three points.
Chelsea were plagued by uncharacteristic defensive errors, which went against the strict and compact nature of their style of play under Thomas Tuchel.
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Reacting to the defeat, former Chelsea defender Frank Lebeouf expressed his disappointment in the manner of the defeat. Speaking to ESPN FC, the 53-year-old said:
"You can say you have players injured because that’s the truth – [Ben] Chilwell. Romelu Lukaku just came back, we’re just seeing [Hakim] Ziyech coming back to his best but that wasn’t the case. Some others are missing – N’Golo Kante, [Mateo] Kovacic are big elements in the middle of the park. I guess Mendy is maybe in a doubt."
He added:
"The football they play is interesting but it’s not convincing to me in the way that I don’t feel the strength that I used to see months ago. And then something happened in December time and they lost against Arsenal and they were nowhere near it before Tuchel came in. So, I don’t know if it’s going to be repeated but let’s see. But I’m not happy with what I see. It’s interesting, but how can you lose after you lead 2-1, concede two stupid goals like that?’'
The defeat cost Chelsea their spot at the summit of the Premier League table, with Manchester City and Liverpool's victories seeing them usurp the London side.
Chelsea are still credible title contenders despite West Ham loss
Chelsea last won the Premier League title in 2017. However, since that emphatic triumph under Antonio Conte, the Blues have not been close to mounting a title challenge. Liverpool and Manchester City have operated at an incredible level over the last few years, leaving the rest of the league trailing far behind in their wake.
Chelsea have since recovered under Thomas Tuchel and their UEFA Champions League triumph last season highlighted how much progress was made. They continued from where they left off at the start of the season and were tipped to be among the pre-season contenders for the league.
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Despite their surprise defeat to West Ham, the Stamford Bridge outfit are still in prime position to contest for their sixth Premier League title.
They will now turn their attention to the continent as they take on Zenit in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday before hosting Leeds United in the league at the weekend.