Rosenior deserves flak for starting Gusto at left-back as Chelsea drop points again | OneFootball

Chelsea dropped two crucial points, playing a frustrating 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge. The Blues took an early lead and should have added to it, but failed.

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana picked up a second yellow card and received his marching orders, leaving the 10-man West Londoners scrambling to hold on to the lead.

The Club World Cup champions conceded in the dying embers, dropping two points for the second successive Premier League gameweek.

While the players deserve flak for an underwhelming showing, manager Liam Rosenior should also be criticised for some bad decisions, most puzzling of which was starting Malo Gusto at left-back.

Chelsea missed the attacking thrust of Marc Cucurella on the left flank, and Gusto looked off the boil.

His atrocious attempted no-look pass on 68 when Chelsea were chasing a crucial second goal was unforgivable.

Football London gave Gusto a 5/10 rating (the second-lowest), acknowledging that he was “Too wasteful in attacking positions.”

Jorrel Hato, who has clearly been finding his feet in recent weeks, was the better option, but Rosenior’s decision-making was off.

Hato came on and won two-thirds of his duels, a solid improvement on Gusto, who had managed just 2/5.

The Blues may have been better off with the Dutchman on the field.

These are the kind of results that quietly derail seasons.

In isolation, a draw against Burnley may not seem catastrophic, but in the context of a congested top-four race, it could prove costly.

Dropping points in back-to-back gameweeks, especially from winning positions, raises serious questions about Chelsea’s mentality and game management.

The Premier League schedule does not get any kinder from here.

Tougher tests lie ahead, and if the Blues cannot see out games against struggling opposition at Stamford Bridge, it does not bode well for their chances against the elite.

Fine margins decide Champions League qualification, and Chelsea are currently on the wrong side of them.