On Sunday, Chelsea suffered a 1‑0 Premier League defeat to Sunderland, a result that saw manager Xabi Alonso turn his criticism toward defender Levi Colwill for the play that led to the decisive goal.
The controversy began just before half‑time when referee Gillet awarded Sunderland a penalty after a challenge involving Colwill and striker Brian Brobbey. Brobbey appeared to grab Colwill by the collar before falling, yet the referee upheld the decision following a VAR review, and the video assistant referee declined to recommend an on‑field review. Enzo Le Fee stepped up and calmly converted the spot‑kick to give Sunderland the lead on the River Wear.
Earlier in the match Chelsea had a penalty appeal involving Cole Palmer, who went down after a challenge inside Sunderland’s penalty area. Gillet initially waved play on, but VAR officials Nicholas Hopton and Wade Smith reviewed the incident after the ball had gone out of play. They ruled that the contact on Palmer occurred outside the penalty area, ruling out a penalty for Chelsea.
"I haven’t seen Cole’s actions, but there could be a chance that it could be given," Alonso said to Sky Sports after the final whistle. "The other one, I think it’s an action where he can defend better."
Alonso admitted that Chelsea struggled to break down Sunderland’s defensive setup, noting a lack of speed, patience and creativity. He said, "It’s our mistake. I was trying to find solutions. We were missing a bit of speed on the ball, a bit of patience playing against a low block. We didn’t create enough chances; we didn’t have enough patience or creativity to create chances."
The defeat leaves Alonso with a clear agenda to improve Chelsea’s attacking performance and defensive discipline ahead of their remaining Premier League fixtures.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
