Alonso criticizes Chelsea performance after 1-0 loss at Sunderland
Enzo Le Fee's first-half penalty decided the match, leaving Chelsea fifth ahead of the November international break.
Xabi Alonso said Chelsea had not created enough to merit victory after their 1-0 Premier League defeat at Sunderland on November 8. Enzo Le Fee scored the decisive penalty before halftime at the Stadium of Light.
Chelsea had entered the match with a chance to cut their gap to Manchester City to two points. Instead, they struggled to generate chances, with Morgan Rogers and Danny Welbeck both missing headed opportunities.
Speaking afterward, Alonso said a draw was probably the most Chelsea deserved. He criticized their slow use of possession and said they lacked the patience, quality and creativity needed to threaten more consistently in attack.
Alonso rejected the suggestion that Sunderland had bullied his side, but acknowledged that Chelsea could have defended better. He said conceding first proved important because his players produced little while chasing an equalizer.
Chelsea enter the November international break in fifth place, six points behind second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, having lost four of 10 league matches. Across their four games against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland, they have managed only one open-play goal.
