Chelsea came into the game against Sunderland on the back of four straight wins but who did they really beat on that run? Four struggling teams in Benfica, Ajax, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. When they were posed a challenge by an in-form Sunderland, the Blues faltered again, losing 2-1 at home.
It was a classic Chelsea performance of recent times. They took the lead but then gave away two poor and preventable goals to lose.
One concerning trend is how players seem to be regressing under the management of Enzo Maresca. Other than Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella, has anybody really improved through his coaching? It certainly does not feel like so.
The latest to struggle is Joao Pedro. Remarkably, he has not managed a shot on target in two months. That is unbelievable when you consider how good he looked upon arrival. And a lot of fans are starting to point the finger at Maresca for that decline.
'Unforgivable' - Enzo Maresca slammed for Chelsea player's struggles
One Chelsea fan wrote after the game against Sunderland: "Joao Pedro spent few months training under Maresca and he lost all his footballing abilities."
Another fan had similar sentiments, adding: "So many players have regressed under Maresca. Joao Pedro not having a shot on target in 6 games is unforgivable. Nicholas Jackson and Cole Palmer did not score for more than 10 games last season."
To be honest, that is a fair point. Oftentimes, it feels like Maresca struggles to get the best out of the players available to him.
Even Palmer struggled badly in the second half of last season. Was that down to a dip in form, Maresca's tactics or a combination of both?
For now, it might be a bit too early to make any judgments though. Maresca has plenty of key players missing and you cannot expect Chelsea at their best without the likes of Palmer and Levi Colwill. That being said, they should still have enough in the tank to get past a newly promoted team like Sunderland.
Injuries are causing Chelsea problems, there is no doubt about that. That being said, you have to find ways to win, even when things are not ideal. Maresca has to be doing that or the pressure will be on him very soon.