Three Chelsea players slammed as Potter ‘seething’ in West Ham draw

West Ham United v Chelsea in pictures

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Three Chelsea stars were slammed by club icon Joe Cole for the roles they played in conceding their goal in the 1-1 draw with West Ham. Graham Potter’s outfit took the lead through Joao Felix’s first goal for the club, though former Blue Emerson equalised shortly after in the first half for the hosts while the visitors were denied a controversial late penalty by VAR.

Just 12 minutes after the on-loan Atletico Madrid man gave the visitors the lead at the London Stadium, Vladimir Coufal’s cross was flicked on by Jarrod Bowen and into the path of Emerson who was able to finish past Kepa in the Chelsea goal.

The Brazilian wing-back was able to sneak in at the back post between Thiago Silva and Reece James, who were two of the three players singled out by Cole at half-time alongside Marc Cucurella for criticism. “It shows you when you’re in the ascendancy you’ve got to score goals, and West Ham got back into it,” Cole told BT Sport.

“It’s a good goal from West Ham, but bad defending. First of all Coufal just delivers it – that’s too much space – then at the far post Reece James and Thiago Silva just switch off. Emerson comes in and scuffs it, but Cucurella has got to say to [Mykhaylo] Mudryk: ‘You get there, if you don’t get there I’ve got the get there, and if I’m not there then I’ve got to retreat into that space and deal with Bowen’.

“As the cross has come in Reece James takes his eye off the ball and Emerson gets it in. It’s about the details in football, and it’s 1-1. At this point in the game it was looking like a case of how many West Ham were going to stop them scoring, but one bit of quality, they got in, and it’s 1-1.”

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand was alongside Cole on the panel and felt that Potter will be extremely disappointed at the goal that his side conceded. “I think Potter will be sitting there seething,” Ferdinand added.

DON’T MISS
Man Utd facing ‘worst possible outcome’ as GMP drop Mason Greenwood charges
Four excellent managerial options for Leeds after Victor Orta suffers triple setback
Gary Neville has ‘sympathy’ for Man City after Premier League charges

“He’ll be going through a few players there because they really dominated the early stages, and they should be putting teams to bed the way they were so dominant, but they allowed West Ham the chances and they got back into the game.”

Chelsea’s defence had impressed as of late even though the Blues have struggled to get wins on the board, having kept three clean sheets in a row before the trip to the London Stadium. January signing Benoit Badiashile has formed a strong partnership with Silva in the heart of the defence, while James’ return from injury has been a big boost even though he let Emerson in at the back post to score.

Cucurella has been criticised since his £57million move from Brighton in the summer but before the game Potter made a staunch defence of the Spaniard. “Marc is fine, he’s going about his work. He knows he is probably not in the best moment of form but he isn’t the only player who has to come through a moment,” Potter said. “He is a player the club invested money in during the summer and it is our job to help him, support him, and bring him to the place where he is showing everyone his qualities.”

Source: Read Full Article