Maresca must swing the axe after Sunderland sting: time to bench Joao Pedro

Chelsea found a brand-new way to bruise their own chin. A lightning opener, a long-throw equaliser, and then a stoppage-time sucker punch from newly promoted Sunderland. From cruising to confusion in 90-odd minutes, Enzo Maresca’s men were beaten 2-1 at Stamford Bridge — and the spotlight has snapped onto Joao Pedro for all the wrong reasons.

Early spark, late collapse

For a moment, it looked like a stress-free afternoon. Inside four minutes, Alejandro Garnacho rifled low beyond Robin Roefs for his first Chelsea goal, a crisp finish that should have set the tone. But Sunderland steadily grew into it, and 18 minutes later Wilson Isidor gobbled up a loose ball in the six-yard box after a long throw caused chaos. The Black Cats smelled vulnerability and, in the 93rd minute, subs Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey combined to pinch all three points. The Bridge went from buoyant to stunned in a heartbeat.

Numbers that shame a top-four hopeful

Chelsea hogged 70% of the ball but mustered just 0.97 xG; Sunderland, with less of it, produced 1.16 xG and the ruthless moments that matter. That’s sterile domination — plenty of passing, not enough punch. For a side that fancies the top four, those figures are a red flag.

Joao Pedro’s slump: from Club World Cup star to Chelsea conundrum

Here’s the rub. Joao Pedro arrived from Brighton, hit the Club World Cup like a samba parade with three goals as the Blues lifted the trophy, then rattled off five goal contributions in his first three Premier League outings. Since mid-September? Nothing. Add a costly red card in the Champions League against Benfica and you’ve got a trend that’s curdled the mood.

Against Sunderland he offered no attempts on goal, was dispossessed three times and strayed offside twice. Meanwhile Garnacho was on the scoresheet and Pedro Neto chipped in with an assist. Fans on X didn’t hold back — overrated, too slow on the ball, decision-making off — and the “selfish” tag is sticking because he keeps dwelling when the pass is on.

Time for Maresca to be ruthless

This can’t drift on: Maresca has to take Pedro out of the firing line — at least for the EFL Cup — restore tempo, and trust more direct runners like Liam Delap to stretch teams. If you’re gauging the wider mood music, the markets tend to react quickly — you can see how sentiment swings on the best betting sites home pages as form turns.

None of this means Pedro is a busted flush. He’s got the tools; he just needs a jolt. Use him off the bench until the rhythm returns, demand quicker releases in transition, and get bodies beyond the ball. Do that and the Brazilian can rediscover the Club World Cup swagger without stalling Chelsea’s attacks.

The verdict

Maresca can’t sugarcoat a defeat like this: high possession, low penetration, and a late lapse. Drop Pedro for now, set a higher tempo, and make the EFL Cup the reset button. If the message lands, Chelsea will be back snarling. If not, top-four talk starts to sound fanciful.