Football pundits Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have placed the blame for Chelsea's damaging 3-1 defeat at Leeds United squarely on the shoulders of head coach Enzo Maresca.
Pundits Point to Defensive Disarray
The surprise loss at Elland Road on Wednesday, 4th December 2025, dealt a significant blow to Chelsea's Premier League title ambitions. The result saw Chelsea fall to fourth in the table, now sitting nine points behind leaders Arsenal after 14 games this season.
For the crucial away fixture, Maresca made five changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Arsenal just days earlier. The alterations included a reshuffled back four, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile starting in defence. Trevoh Chalobah was moved from centre-back to right-back, with Wesley Fofana absent and Malo Gusto dropped to the bench.
'They Were Terrible at the Back'
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer argued that constant changes to a defensive unit are a critical error. "It’s difficult when you’re changing that many in the back four," the former England striker said. "I always feel there’s systems or positions that should be playing on a regular basis as much as possible, and it has to be the back four. When you’re making that many changes with it, that’s on him tonight. It went against them because they were terrible at the back."
Lineker concurred, highlighting the disruption to a previously solid partnership. "Chalobah, who has been playing really well with Fofana, was moved to right back," he noted. "He brought in Adarabioyo and Badiashile and it was a funny thing to do. It didn’t really work out did it?"
Wider Criticism of Team Selection
The scrutiny extended beyond the defence. Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol expressed bewilderment at Maresca's decision to bench key attackers Pedro Neto and Reece James from the start. "How are you expected to keep your standards up when you’re making all these changes?" he told ESPN. "It makes no sense at all. How about you start Reece James and Pedro Neto, and when you see them look as though they are a little bit tired, then you take them off."
Chelsea legend John Terry urged a return to fundamentals after what he described as a "poor performance." Terry warned about the hostile Elland Road atmosphere beforehand and felt the team failed to match Leeds' aggression. "We showed glimpses in the second half when Neto comes on and gets back in the game at 2-1," he said, "but we can’t perform like that."
The defeat has intensified pressure on Maresca, with high-profile figures in the game questioning his tactical approach in a match that has major implications for the Premier League title race.
