Merson Slams Chelsea's 'Embarrassing' Performance Against Manchester City

Paul Merson has heavily criticized Chelsea's performance in their 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, labeling it 'cringeworthy.' The Sky Sports pundit believes the team 'capitulates' when they fall behind and questioned the decision to drop Enzo Fernandez, calling it 'crazy.' With Chelsea now sixth and four points off the top five, Merson thinks manager Liam Rosenior is under immense pressure ahead of their upcoming game against Manchester United. Merson expressed his thoughts on Chelsea's situation, Tottenham's relegation crisis, and the future of Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. He stated that Chelsea's failure to qualify for the Champions League would be a huge issue and that they need to be playing in the Champions League. Merson criticized the club's decision to ban Enzo Fernandez, saying it was 'madness' and that they should have used common sense to include one of their best players in the game. He also commented on Moises Caicedo's role, saying he's a brilliant holding midfielder but not suited for the role he was given. Merson noted that Chelsea gets 'battered' in their losses, citing their three 3-0 defeats. He questioned who made the decision to ban Enzo Fernandez and emphasized the need for the manager to use his best players. Merson thinks Rosenior started well but is now under severe pressure to win the next game against Manchester United. He believes Chelsea is not set up to win the league and that they capitulate when they go behind. Merson suggested that if Chelsea gets into the Champions League and wins the FA Cup, it would be a good season. He also commented on Tottenham's relegation crisis, saying they look low on confidence and that their players seem unsure. Merson expressed his worry for Spurs, noting that they have good players but lack the style of play and patterns that other teams have. He thinks Brighton will play with no fear against Tottenham, who have shackles on. Merson didn't see anything in Tottenham's game against Sunderland to suggest they can get out of trouble. He noted that Sunderland shouldn't have been so comfortable in the game and that it's hard for Tottenham because they haven't been in a relegation fight before. Merson thinks the Brighton game is the 'cup final of cup finals' for Tottenham and that they need to win it to survive. He also commented on Newcastle's situation, saying it's hard for them after playing for so much in the last few years. Merson laughed at the idea of Eddie Howe being under pressure, saying he brought the team their first trophy in years. He noted that the real problem is the potential loss of key players like Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Merson expects Newcastle to always be around the five, six, or seven mark in the Premier League and thinks they give anyone a game when they have a full team.