Gary Neville held nothing back as he tore into Chelsea’s defenders following their shocking 3-1 collapse at Leeds United on Wednesday night.
The Sky Sports pundit was left furious watching Malo Gusto and Tosin Adarabioyo’s calamitous mistakes gift Leeds their third goal, branding the defending “a nightmare for Maresca.”
Speaking on commentary, Neville exploded after Gusto’s poor pass put Tosin under pressure in his own box. The center-back then failed to control the ball, allowing Noah Okafor to charge him down before Dominic Calvert-Lewin tapped home the rebound.
“The center-backs have been sloppy all night,” Neville fumed. “I’m not sure if Gusto’s pass to Chalobah is the right one – you just have to welly it up the pitch. What are you doing trying to control it and play it back in there? And Sanchez, it is difficult for him.”
The former Manchester United defender didn’t stop there, adding: “What a mess. Chelsea’s defenders have been poor on the ball all night, playing it into their own six-yard box to each other.”
But Neville’s most damning verdict came when ruling Chelsea completely out of the title race. With the Blues now nine points behind Arsenal, he brutally declared: “I don’t think they can win the title. In fact, I don’t think they’ve got a chance.”
He pointed to three major weaknesses holding Chelsea back: “Those center-backs were poor, slow on the ball, the goalkeeper is not a title-winning goalkeeper, and those forwards are not of the level to win a team like Chelsea a title.”
Neville also criticized Leeds’ front two of Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, saying they “beat Chelsea up for 72 minutes” and set the tone for the entire match.
The pundit even took aim at Jamie Gittens despite the winger setting up Pedro Neto’s consolation goal, questioning why the England under-21 star had been “so negative” throughout the game.
For Maresca and his side, Neville’s harsh words will sting – but the performance at Elland Road suggests the criticism is fully deserved. If Chelsea can’t fix their defensive shambles quickly, those title dreams will remain exactly that: just dreams.
