EPL: Gary Neville blames four Chelsea players for 3-1 defeat to Man City

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EPL: Gary Neville blames four Chelsea players for 3-1 defeat to Man City

Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, has held four Chelsea players responsible for their 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

The Blues took the lead at the Etihad, after Nicolas Jackson pounced on a defensive error to set up Noni Madueke.

But City leveled before the break through Josko Gvardiol.

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored in the second half to ensure the hosts took all three points.

The result saw Chelsea drop out of the top five and their Champions League qualification hopes in doubt.

Having enjoyed an impressive start to the season, Enzo Maresca’s men have won just once in their last seven matches and were second best at the Etihad too.

Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, criticised Chelsea for their efforts early on in the game.

He said: “One – and I felt like this when I said billion pound bottle jobs, I felt as though they showed something – in the first 10 minutes of this match they showed something.

“They could have gone 2-0 up, but I mentioned players being programmed like robots. If you concede, score, if you can see another team is vulnerable or sense a nervousness in the ground, you have to be able to adapt.

“There is some experience out there. (Moises) Caicedo, (Enzo) Fernandez I’m looking at in particular and even Cole Palmer now, what he’s done in the last 18 months. Reece James.

“I’m looking at those four in particular thinking, “You must have sensed that at that point in the game, the kid at right centre back, (Metheus) Nunes at right back, the midfield that can’t really run, you had to go for the jugular”.

“I said it at the time, and they missed a real opportunity because they were programmed before the game to play a certain way. They couldn’t switch to go full press. The game had changed. I feel like I would have smelt that at United if I was there.

“You had to carry on attacking the left-hand side. They let them off the hook. That’s down to a mentality.”