Chelsea took the lead against Zenit St Petersburg after just 90 seconds in this game, and in the minutes after that they looked like they were going to get the second and third goals they needed to finish their opposition off.
But the opposite happened. They got sloppy, let Zenit score twice, and now they face an embarrassing defeat.
It’s not clear whether Thomas Tuchel will now bring on some big guns to try and fix things – a pretty self defeating move after playing this mixed up team specifically to avoid that.
Social media lit up with Chelsea fans annoyed at what was going on. “Good god” said one bemused Tweeter – and that was about as mild as it got.
Tuchel will be going ballistic at half time we expect, let’s see if he makes some subs too.
You can see a selection of their reaction in the Tweets embedded here:
It'd be 4-1 without Kepa. good god.
— Dávid Pásztor (@D_Peezy) December 8, 2021
From the sublime to the ridiculous. #CFC’s first half at Zenit is over. Will be facing one of the top seeds in the last 16 as things stand. #ZENCHE
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) December 8, 2021
#Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in 4 consecutive matches; conceding 5 goals in their last 2.
[via @StatmanDave]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) December 8, 2021
Chelsea: beats Juventus 4-0
also Chelsea: losing to Zenit 2-1 after 45'
— amadí (@amadoit__) December 8, 2021
A great 45 minutes for Rudiger’s agent, that #CFC
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) December 8, 2021
HT: Zenit 2 – 1 Chelsea
Describe that first-half performance in three words. 👇 pic.twitter.com/3gY1wHshHQ
— Talk Chelsea (@talkchelsea) December 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/tocfcws/status/1468649584545181696
Kepa saving the team's collective bacon rn.
— London Is Blue Podcast ⭐️⭐️ (@LondonBluePod) December 8, 2021
Ross Barkley and Malang Sarr are horrendous football players. Why are they at this club?
Saul also not looking cut out for Chelsea.
— Chelsea Extra 🏆 (@CFCExtra) December 8, 2021
Chelsea simply aren’t the same team without these guys in midfield & defence… pic.twitter.com/hwd5aScJnJ
— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) December 8, 2021
The last 2 games we’ve gotten the old Andreas Christensen it feels.
Potentially distracted over this contract stuff?
— Alex Goldberg (@AlexGoldberg_) December 8, 2021
Barkley might not be a pivot guys #CFC
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) December 8, 2021
Oh wow, Barkley and Christensen that is disgracefully bad.
— Uber Chelsea FC (@UberChelseaFC_) December 8, 2021
Malang Sarr is a player Chelsea repeatedly tried to move in the summer and will try to do so again in January. And yet, here we are…
— Chelsea Youth (@chelseayouth) December 8, 2021
Chelsea should probably have put this game away when Zenit were playing the first 10 minutes like a bunch of drunks. Nowhere near as incisive since, and considerably easier to counter than usual #CFC
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) December 8, 2021