Ian Wright criticised two players after Chelsea’s Premier League defeat to Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca’s side slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as Mikel Merino’s 20th-minute header separated the sides.
Merino made a good run to the near-post and flicked Martin Odegaard’s header over Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Arsenal legend Wright felt Sanchez, recently restored as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper, and Christopher Nkunku were both to blame for the only goal of the game.
Nkunku was positioned at the near post for Odegaard’s corner but retreated back closer to the goal, allowing Merino to nip in front and steer a header over Sanchez.
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‘It’s a great header but you look at the attention to detail from Nkunku,’ Wright said on Premier League Productions.
‘The the manager has put him there for that specific reason. That’s cost them the game. Merino’s movement is great but he can only head it because Nkunku doesn’t do his job.’
Glenn Hoddle was also critical of Nkunku’s role in Arsenal’s goal, saying: ‘We studied his position at half-time. He’s just got to stay there.
‘He’s a centre forward going back, not knowing what to do really in that position. As the front shield, you don’t let anyone across the front.’
On Sanchez, Hoddle added: ‘Why is he getting involved with the players?
‘As a goalkeeper, you don’t want to get engaged with the players. He actually saves it if he’s in the right position.’
Wright agreed with the criticism of Sanchez, adding: ‘He shouldn’t be there. He needs to be back on his line. It was strange.
‘He’s got space where he is but he’s got involved with an Arsenal player. He probably would have caught it if he was in the right position.
‘It’s such poor goalkeeping at this level, it’s not good enough.’
On Chelsea’s performance in general, Wright said: ‘They missed Cole Palmer today, they looked very tepid without him, Jackson and Madueke.
‘It’s a whole different scenario for Arsenal if those are playing. Arsenal won the game which is great but I wanted a bit more and Chelsea were so poor today.
‘Chelsea aren’t a million miles away, they just need some experience in that team I think.’
Hoddle continued: ‘They looked a bit rudderless and guidance. They never had a real spell in the game. It never happened for them.’
Chelsea were hoping to consolidate their position in the top-four after Manchester City could only draw with Brighton earlier in the weekend.
But the Blues suffered their third league defeat in five games and Maresca said: ‘I think we were in the game until the end.
‘There was not a big difference in the two games between us. Given the injuries, we fought until the end.
‘After the international break, we can have more players back like Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke for the final sprint.’
On the performance of Sanchez, Maresca added: ‘We are quite happy with both of our keepers and today Robert was good.’
Arsenal, meanwhile, stay second in the Premier League, now 12 points behind champions-elect Liverpool.
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