Jamie Carragher has criticised Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for a decision he made during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Blues were beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge by Man City, as they conceded three first-half goals to put the game beyond them.
Frank Lampard’s side managed a late consolation goal through Callum Hudson-Odoi, but the team are currently ninth in the league table after a poor run of results that has seen them pick up four points out of a possible 18.
Pundit Carragher singled out Chelsea’s shot-stopper Mendy for criticism during his analysis of the defeat to Man City.
He felt that the £22million star (Sky Sports) rushed into a bad decision by distributing the ball quickly to N’Golo Kante at a time where Man City had just created a couple of dangerous attacking threats.
That passage of play did lead to Man City’s opening goal through Ilkay Gundogan and the visitors took control from that moment.
“You’ve got to understand the situation. Your confidence isn’t great in the game anyway, City have had two big chances. Relax. Slow everyone down. He’s an experienced player in his late twenties,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Main Event channel (7:28pm, 4 January).
“He then gives the ball to N’Golo Kante… and there is a turnover straight away. For me, it starts with the goalkeepers’s decision to throw the ball out… I think the goalkeeper should save it (Gundogan’s goal).”
Chelsea certainly could have been more streetwise to try slow down play at a time that Man City were growing into the game, but it’s a team that doesn’t possess that know-how right now.
After a flying start to his Blues career, Mendy has come under the spotlight recently for a few questionable individual moments and the 28-year-old needs to come through this minor rough patch by being more decisive.
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