Paul Merson of Sky Sports has expressed his disappointment with Chelsea's performance, labeling their 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City as "embarrassing". Merson believes that Chelsea tend to "fall apart" when they're behind and questioned the decision to bench Enzo Fernandez, citing it as a "baffling" move.
The loss has left Chelsea in sixth place, four points behind the top five, with a Champions League spot now a significant challenge. Merson thinks manager Liam Rosenior is under immense pressure ahead of the upcoming Premier League match against Manchester United.
In his column, Merson discusses Chelsea's struggles, Tottenham's relegation concerns, and the future of Newcastle's Eddie Howe. He emphasizes that Chelsea's inability to qualify for the Champions League would be a huge issue and criticizes the decision to drop Enzo Fernandez, calling it "crazy". Merson also praises Moises Caicedo as a brilliant holding midfielder but notes that he's being played out of position. He thinks Rosenior started well but is now under severe pressure to win the next match.
Merson believes that Chelsea are not equipped to win the league and tend to "capitulate" when they fall behind. He suggests that a good season for Chelsea would be to get into the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
Merson also discusses Tottenham's relegation crisis, stating that they look low on confidence and unsure of their style of play. He worries about their ability to get out of trouble, given their tough upcoming fixtures. Additionally, Merson talks about Newcastle's current situation, saying that Eddie Howe is not under pressure and that the team's main concern should be the potential departure of key players like Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.