Chelsea lost heavily at Leeds on Sunday (3-0) during the third day of the Premier League. A game during which the Blues were first plunged by a mistake of their goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, before Kalidou Koulibaly saw red in the last minutes of the game.
The Blues lost (3-0), against an opponent who seized their chances and especially totally extinguish the men of Thomas Tuchel. Far from mastering their subject, the Londoners passed by the match for their 3rd outing of the season in the Premier League. Their fall was precipitated by an individual error of their goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy.
Often criticized for his footwork, which had already cost him dearly against Real Madrid in the Champions League, the Blues' goalkeeper once again had a hole. When Thiago Silva's back-pass was played to him, Edouard Mendy was completely confused and started to hesitate, even though he had time to clear the ball away from the danger. The opportunity was too good for Aaronson who did not hesitate to take the ball in his feet and push the ball in the empty goal (33th). This was a direct consequence of the Senegalese international's late decision.
😱 La grosse bourde d’Édouard Mendy qui coûte beaucoup à Chelsea, mené 2-0 sur le terrain de Leeds United. pic.twitter.com/FXoamWwV0N
— Sport News Africa (@snewsafrica) August 21, 2022
Edouard Mendy saw his ordeal continue 5 minutes later, when Rodrigo victoriously haeded a free kick for 2-0 (37th). Unable to react, the Blues drank the chalice to the dregs, with another goal of Leeds in the second half, signed by Harrison (69th). A heavy score for the Londoners who saw their first defeat of the season. And if the outcome of the game was now sealed, Chelsea saw its afternoon turn into a nightmare with the exclusion of Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegalese defender, who scored the previous weekend with a superb half-volley against Tottenham, was red-carded after two fouls on Aaronson (9th) and Gelhardt (85th). Synonymous with an early return to the locker room, leaving his teammates with ten men.
Kalidou Koulibaly 🇸🇳 a récolté son 9e carton rouge 🟥 de sa carrière (club et sélection) cet après-midi. #CHE #PREMIERLEAGUE pic.twitter.com/QwnByS3aLd
— Galsenfoot.sn (@Galsenfootsn) August 21, 2022
A match to forget for Tuchel and his men, who will have to deal without Koulibaly in their next league game. This is a hard blow as the defensive sector which still needs to be strengthened after the departures of Christensen and especially Rüdiger. Just maybe it is time to accelerate the arrival of Wesley Fofana from Leicester?
