Joe Cole was unimpressed with Chelsea’s defending vs Dortmund (Photo: BT Sport)
Joe Cole says Mykhailo Mudryk deserves some blame for his role in Chelsea’s loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Chelsea lost 1-0 at the Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday night, courtesy of a sublime goal from Karim Adeyemi.
The winner game from a Blues’ corner which was cleared to Adeyemi on the edge of the box and from there was no stopping the 21-year-old forward who blitzed past Enzo Fernandez and rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga to put the ball in the back of an empty net.
While nothing should be taken away from the quality of Adeyemi’s strike, the defending from Chelsea came under strong criticism, and while last man Fernandez took some of that brunt, Cole believes another player is at fault.
Mudryk was the closest man to the Dortmund speedster but failed to close his opponent down allowing Adeyemi to run the entire length of the pitch virtually unopposed.
‘There needs to be a bit of blame on Mudryk,’ Chelsea icon Cole said on BT Sport.
‘When you are an attacking player, you are thinking to yourself, “right, I can score a goal here if the ball drops [on the edge of the area]”.
‘As soon as you realise that the ball [has been cleared], right, switch on defensively. He just lets [Adeyemi] run off him.
‘I feel like quick players can lose concentration because they feel that their pace can get them away with it.’
Graham Potter was equally frustrated by the manner in which the goal was conceded, with the result meaning Chelsea have won just two of their last 14 matches across all competitions.
‘It’s a poor goal and we have to do better,’ the manager said in his post-match press conference.
‘We were pushing at the time and were the better team. So to concede in that manner is what we’re disappointed with.
‘The players are honest and they know they can do better with that. We have to help them, of course, but we will focus on the positives.’
MORE : ‘That’s the problem!’ – Rio Ferdinand slams Chelsea’s transfer policy after defeat to Dortmund
MORE : Pressure mounts on Graham Potter as Chelsea suffer defeat in Dortmund
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‘Switch on defensively!’
