By OkayGoal
Chelsea have had a poor first half vs Spurs who have been the better team of the two in the first 45 minutes.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville pulled no punches when evaluating Chelsea’s struggles during a disappointing opening period against Tottenham.
As Spurs established control and pinned the hosts back, Neville pointed to a growing sense of frustration among the Stamford Bridge faithful, who expected a much stronger start in such a high-stakes fixture.
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Gary Neville criticises Mike Penders during Chelsea vs Tottenham
The former Manchester United defender highlighted the lack of confidence in goalkeeper Mike Penders as one of the problems.
Neville suggested that the young stopper’s reluctance to play out from the back severely hindered Chelsea’s ability to build possession.
He said (via BBC Sport Live):
“There’s grumbles around the home crowd here who weren’t expecting this. Penders hasn’t got the confidence to play it out so he’s just lumping it forward.”
Penders is filling in for Emiliano Martinez who was stretchered off vs Everton
The pressure on Penders is compounded by the circumstances surrounding his inclusion. Penders is filling in for Emiliano Martinez, who was stretchered off vs Everton.
Martinez has undergone a surgery and will be facing a significant time on the sidelines.
Replacing an experienced established starter in a match of this magnitude was always going to test the youngster, but his clear lack of composure on the ball exposed a major weakness in Chelsea’s setup.
The Blues will need to improve in the second half if they hope to settle the anxious home crowd and turn the derby around.