Xabi Alonso must look at HIMSELF, not the officials, as another questionable line-up sees Chelsea fold at Sunderland - and Cole Palmer has a stinker in miserable response to Tuchel snub, writes KIERAN GILL

Of course, the controversies will be discussed and dissected. First, Chelsea were denied a penalty when Cole Palmer was sandwiched by Luke O’Nien and Jules Ahoka as he entered the Sunderland area, with it concluded by the officials that the contact occurred outside of the box.

Then, Sunderland were awarded a penalty when Brian Brobbey was brought down by Levi Colwill. The striker had hold of the defender at the same time, and arguably clipped his own heel upon second viewing, but Enzo Le Fee gladly accepted the opportunity to score the game’s own goal.

Xabi Alonso was not happy with either of those calls, but when searching for why Chelsea were beaten by the side sitting bottom of the Premier League, the 44-year-old Spaniard should be looking at himself, first and foremost. Referee Jarred Gillett or VAR Nick Hopton were secondary to this loss, even if their officiating of this match was rather weak.

Not for the first time this season, Alonso’s starting line-up was questionable. Granted, it hardly helped that Chelsea’s attackers never appeared at it in this trip to the Stadium of Light individually.

Sunderland handed Chelsea a brutal reality check as they climbed off the foot of the table

The visitors fell victim to two questionable penalty calls at the Stadium of Light

Cole Palmer had a stinker. This was supposed to represent an opportunity to show why Thomas Tuchel made a mistake in not naming him in his latest England squad. He failed.

Morgan Rogers’ performance was best summed up by the time he simply sprinted out of play with the ball to gift Sunderland a goal-kick. He and Palmer resembled no-shows.

Pedro Neto looked like a lost little boy trying to lead Chelsea’s line in the absence of Joao Pedro.

The half-time statistics said Chelsea had sent more open-play crosses into Sunderland's box in the opening 45 minutes than in their entire games versus Fulham, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Bournemouth and Brighton.

The problem is there was no striker in there for Alonso’s full backs Marco Palestra or Pep Chavarria to find. In the three Premier League games played since Joao Pedro’s injury, Alonso has gone with Rogers as his striker once and Neto twice.

Danny Welbeck was on the bench in all of those matches. Now, we are not saying the 35-year-old is the answer to all of Alonso’s problems, but he is a focal point. Neto was hardly going to stand a chance wrestling with centre backs for long balls. It is a question that needs asking: why did Chelsea bother signing Welbeck if not to play when Joao Pedro is injured?

Welbeck came on in the 62nd minute here, but by then, a familiar feeling was washing over Chelsea. They lost 2-1 here at the very end of last season. Malo Gusto scored an own goal, Wesley Fofana was red carded, and Chelsea, managed by Calum McFarlane in the interim, failed to qualify for any form of European football. They smacked of an utterly unserious side then, and resembled it here, too. Sunderland had it easy. Their tactic of hoofing the ball up to Brobbey worked. He scared the daylights out of Chelsea’s centre backs, Fofana and Colwill.

Cole Palmer had a stinker in a woeful response to Thomas Tuchel's England snub

When Fofana first arrived at the Stadium of Light, a Chelsea fan shouted at him as he got off the bus. ‘Fofana, please be on the bench,’ he said. Fofana may have been wishing he was simply a substitute as well whenever he was wrestling with Brobbey.

It was the long-ball approach which led to Sunderland winning their penalty. They lumped it and Brobbey bullied Colwill. Chelsea will complain about it, but Sunderland got the spot-kick, and in truth, deserved the lead for the sheer energy they brought to this match.

Alonso is 10 Premier League games into his Chelsea career, and it is still tough to see what style of play it is he wants from his side. Sunderland lost their captain Granit Xhaka to an injury after two minutes here. Alonso had named a line-up featuring three midfielders. The visitors should have exerted control. But there was none of that. Just a deserved defeat.