Steven Gerrard believes Chelsea need to sign three 'world-class' defenders to compete for the Premier League title after their 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso's side were beaten at the Stadium of Light after Enzo Le Fee converted a first-half penalty, awarded when Levi Colwill was penalised for a foul on Brian Brobbey. Chelsea had almost 70 per cent possession but created few clear-cut chances and returned to Stamford Bridge empty-handed.
The defeat was Chelsea's fourth of the season, leaving them fifth in the Premier League heading into the November international break, 11 points behind defending champions Arsenal. The Blues have conceded 16 league goals, the seventh-most in the division and more than any other team in the top half of the table.
Gerrard's verdict on Chelsea's defence
Asked on The Overlap Daily, sponsored by Sky Bet, whether Chelsea's next recruitment drive should start with the defence, Gerrard said: '100 per cent. Chelsea have good defenders. I really like Reece James when he's fit and available and he plays right-back. I think he's the best right-back in the country.'
'I really like Colwill, because he gives them nice balance and the left foot. They've got a fantastic goalkeeper now, who I've worked with. And I look at the midfield and the front line and think, that can compete.'
'But with all due respect, I think for Chelsea to compete with your Arsenals, Man City's, Liverpool's, and the top end of the Champions League, I think they need to find world-class centre-backs and a world-class left-back.'
Comparing past and present
Gerrard compared Chelsea's current back line to the defence he faced during his playing days, naming Ashley Cole, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Branislav Ivanovic as a back four that 'proved that it can compete at the top end of the Premier League and the top end of the Champions League'.
'If I look at Chelsea's back five now, I go Emiliano Martinez and Petr Cech, okay, not much in it. Martinez has proved he can win a World Cup and really perform at that high level,' he added.
'I think the Chelsea defenders have still got to prove themselves, that they can go and compete at the top end of the Premier League and also the top end of the Champions League. Because that back four that we played against at Chelsea, with Claude Makelele in front or Michael Essien in front, that was some base to a spine. I think for Chelsea to go to the next level, they need to recruit that.'
Alonso calls for more creativity
Alonso urged his team to be more 'creative' in the final third after the defeat to previously bottom Sunderland.
'The game has been really tight, really competitive, not many chances. The goal came from that penalty,' he said. 'We were not creating enough chances in the final third against the low block. We were not controlling and sustaining the attack there.'
'You can do it, we spoke and worked. We didn't do good enough but we worked during the week to control his powers. For sure in a few situations we didn't do well. Today was going to be tough, a really close game. This team give you so much space and so much of the ball we need to be more precise and patient.'
