Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso and goalkeeper Mike Penders have differing views on the penalty that decided their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday.
The loss came against the team that began the day at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Decisive Penalty
Enzo Le Fee scored the only goal of the game from the spot after Levi Colwill was penalised for a foul on Brian Brobbey as the Dutch striker ran towards goal. The decision was made minutes after Cole Palmer felt he should have had a penalty for a foul that officials instead judged to have started outside the box.
After the match, which left Chelsea fifth in the table, Penders gave his opinion on the spot-kick he had conceded.
“For me it wasn't a penalty,” he told Sky Sports. “[Colwill] barely touched [Brobbey]. I think it was the other way round. He grabbed him.”
Alonso Blames His Players
Alonso, however, did not offer Colwill the same defence and instead blamed the defeat on his players.
“Nothing to comment on the referee [performance],” Alonso told BBC’s Match of the Day. “It is something that is our fault. We could have done better.”
He added: “The game was really tight, really competitive, not many chances. The goal came from that penalty.
“We were not creating enough chances in the final third against the low block. We were not controlling and sustaining the attack there.”
“Today was going to be tough, a really close game,” Alonso said. “This team give you so much space and so much of the ball we needed to be more precise and patient.”
