After failing to beat one of the worst Manchester United teams in history, one has to seriously question where this Chelsea team stands. Did we overrate them as a result of that Club World Cup final performance? It is starting to feel like so. But on the other hand, many would argue that they never had a chance at Old Trafford after Robert Sanchez got himself sent off within the first five minutes.
Recovering from a red card is always tough. It is tougher when it is your goalkeeper and you have to throw the entire game plan out of the window.
Despite that, some of the decisions Enzo Maresca made need to be questioned. He immediately took off Estevao and Pedro Neto. That left them with no real pace in the team, which was necessary to play on the counterattack after going down to ten men. Soon afterwards, Cole Palmer was taken off as well, although in his case, it looked like he had picked up an injury, which will be an even bigger worry, as he continues to struggle with a groin issue.
For his part, Sanchez has sent a message on his Instagram immediately after the game. He wrote on his story:
"On me today guys, big sorry for that, team put a massive effort on the second half but couldn't get there."
Robert Sanchez sends message after horror show vs Manchester United
On one hand, it is good to see that Sanchez is taking responsibility for his error. But it does not really solve Chelsea's problem.
They have had a goalkeeper issue for a while but have refused to address it. And as a result, they look set to continue paying the price this season as well.
Sanchez is a great goalkeeper on his day. But he makes bad mistakes far too often as well. That is not someone you can rely on if you want to be competing for silverware. And unfortunately, it looks like Chelsea are going to be nowhere near doing so. That Club World Cup win only papered over the cracks. And they seem to have grown wider after a bad summer transfer window.