Chelsea fans have a surprising thought as two players get blamed for the loss to Sunderland
Chelsea fans have realized that Moises Caicedo is better than the center-backs Xabi Alonso picked to start against Sunderland, especially after Caicedo played in an unexpected new position.
The Blues lost for the third time in four games across all competitions, this time to struggling Sunderland. In the 18-yard box, Brian Brobbey used his power and speed to force Levi Colwill into a foul, leading to a first-half penalty that Enzo Le Fee calmly scored.
Colwill and his center-back partner Wesley Fofana had a tough time keeping up with the Dutch striker while they were on the field. Many fans noticed things improved when Caicedo was moved into central defense after Estevao came on as a substitute.
When Estevao replaced Colwill at halftime, Caicedo dropped back into defense. At first, some fans questioned Alonso’s odd tactic, especially since there was no clear striker on the pitch again. But Caicedo, known as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, showed he could handle central defense well. Many fans praised his performance on social media, while Fofana and Colwill faced criticism for not being commanding enough.
“Caicedo is a better center-back than Colwill – and that’s where we are right now,” one fan said.
“Caicedo might actually be our best center-back…” another agreed.
“He might even be better than most of our full-backs!” added a third.
“Caicedo did way better than Colwill, but Colwill still acts like he’s a legend. The ego is unreal!” said another supporter, disappointed by Colwill’s first-half struggles.
“I wasn’t expecting Caicedo to be better than all our current center-backs, but he was,” wrote a fifth fan.
Caicedo’s flexibility was probably the only good takeaway from a pretty rough game at the Stadium of Light. The 25-year-old finished with a 91% pass rate (80/88), won seven duels, and made six defensive actions throughout the full match.
This game wasn’t the first time Caicedo played out of his natural defensive midfield spot. Towards the end of the 2024/25 season, coach Enzo Maresca played him at right-back several times when Reece James was injured. Even then, Caicedo would push forward into midfield when Chelsea had the ball.
“I see Moi as a number six in how he plays,” Maresca said back in May 2025.
“In some games, he played as a full-back without the ball, but with the ball, he’s a holding midfielder.”
Caicedo’s skill and flexibility make him one of Alonso’s most important players, and he proved that again on Sunday. Still, the fact that he outplayed both Colwill and Fofana at center-back is a bit worrying for the coach.