Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri again questioned his side’s attitude as they fought out a 2-1 win against Newcastle United.
Chelsea took the lead after nine minutes, through Pedro, but Newcastle responded and deservedly equalised five minutes before half-time through Ciaran Clark.
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Sarri again bemoaned his side’s mentality – a frequent complaint this season – for apparently being complacent after Pedro’s opener.
The 60-year-old said: “After the goal I think we thought ‘now it’s easy’, but it wasn’t. “We slept for 20, 25 minutes, so at the end of the first half we were in trouble. We need to improve in the mental reaction.”
Eden Hazard again started as a ‘false nine’, with Olivier Giroud on the substitutes’ bench and Alvaro Morata again left out, amid reports the Spain striker could leave.
Sarri, though, pointed to the importance of wingers, including Callum Hudson-Odoi – the 18-year-old who has been repeatedly linked with Bayern Munich – rather than the need for a striker.
Sarri added: “With Eden as a striker we need wingers. So we need Pedro. We need Odoi. We need Willian, of course.”
