After convincingly hammering Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League, the mood was high around Stamford Bridge. This good feeling only lasted a few days, though, as the Blues suffered a surprise defeat when hosting newly promoted Sunderland in London. The unexpected loss ended Chelsea’s four-game winning streak and brought them back down to earth a little in the process.
Chelsea’s defeat also acted as a reminder that progress rarely happens overnight. With such a young group, there will be bumps along the way, but the signs of a brighter future are already there for this talented team.
Ajax Blitz and Sunderland Setback
Defeat.#CFC | #CHESUN pic.twitter.com/27Dpco874K
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 25, 2025
Without looking much into Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Ajax, it looks like an extremely impressive result. Even the stats paint a picture of total domination, with Chelsea enjoying 22 shots compared to just two for the visitors. It is important to remember, however, that the Dutch outfit played almost the full game with 10 men. Additionally, they are a long way from the peak of their powers. Not only sat in an underwhelming fourth place in the Eredivisie, but they are rock bottom of the Champions League table (and would be even if they had only lost to Chelsea by one goal).
Nevertheless, while watching the game, it was hard not to be impressed by many of the Chelsea players out there. Wingers Jamie Gittens and Estevao put in superb performances down the flanks, while Tyrique George and Marc Guiu both put in impressive shifts too. At the other end of the pitch, the likes of Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato also looked solid throughout.
Such is the quality Chelsea have at their disposal, though, none of these names made the starting XI for the Sunderland match, except for Guiu. It should be said that Chelsea were a little unlucky to lose the clash. Based on the chances both sides created, a draw would have been the fairest result from the contest. Nevertheless, even with Sunderland’s good form, this is a game that a club of Chelsea’s ambitions would ordinarily expect to win.
Inconsistent Individual Performances
The fact that the Blues failed to beat Sunderland highlighted a couple of issues with having a young squad. One is that some of the players are simply not quite at the level required yet. As good as Guiu looked against Ajax, he has shown little indication that he is ready to be a Premier League regular. The same can also be said of George, who has only impressed this year against Ajax and Lincoln.
Elsewhere, Joao Pedro struggled once again, with this being his fifth consecutive league game where he has failed to register a shot on target. The 21-year-old Garnacho was more of a bright spark, but despite his well-taken goal, he still lacks the end product you might expect of a more senior professional.
Inexperience When Taking the Lead in Matches
As well as inconsistent individual performances you often get with youngsters, Chelsea have shown their inexperience when taking the lead in matches. If a goal ahead, they are liable to sit deeper and deeper, inviting pressure until an equaliser comes. This is what happened against Brighton and Sunderland, two games that Chelsea really ought to have seen out. They also let Liverpool back into the match at Stamford Bridge, but were able to find a late winner on that occasion.
You could even point to the recent 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and see how much pressure they faced after their quick-fire double. It is only through pure good fortune, rather than solid defending, that Forest did not halve the deficit. There is nothing wrong with trying to see out a slender win, but this young Chelsea side often do not look comfortable doing so.
Not Yet the Finished Article
Clearly, Chelsea are far from the finished article, but this is to be expected from a team with the youngest squad in the English top flight. The fact that they can compete to a good level with such a young squad bodes very well, as you can realistically expect improvements year on year. It’s also important to remember that Chelsea have faced significant injury setbacks this season, with Cole Palmer’s absence in particular being a notable loss.
The bottom line is that you can’t expect this Chelsea team to become superstars overnight. The Sunderland game will no doubt not be the last this season in which the Blues suffer a disappointing result and put in a poor performance. However, this youthful squad is heading in the right direction, and given time and patience, they could become a force to be reckoned with and mount a serious title push within a couple of years.