Blues need to up their game, says Cucurella

MARC Cucurella warned Chelsea need to learn quickly how to kill off teams if they are to avoid tumbling down the Premier League table.

- 

The Blues have chucked away eight points from winning positions already this season and were stunned by a stoppage-time winner from Sunderland's Chemsdine Talbi at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

They had led through Alejandro Garnacho's fourth-minute strike - his first goal since joining in the summer ~ but the Black Cats never looked like being overwhelmed and equalised in the 22nd minute through Wilson Isidor. A balanced, fiercely contested fight ensued, but it was Regis Le Bris’ visitors that struck the definitive late blow.

“It's a really tough one to take,” Cucurella told Chelsea's website.

“We need to improve with these matches. | think we need to learn to manage the game better.

“We scored early, dominated at that stage but then we let the opponents back into it. We need to learn to kill games off when we are on top. We need to learn to be better against teams that come with a gameplan such as Sunderland where they stay very narrow and compact.”

For the second time this season Chelsea were undone by a long throw-in as Nordi Mukiele's launch into the six-yard box created havoc and Isidor poked home the equaliser.

“We know that a lot of teams are trying to use long throws more and we need to manage them better,” said Cucurella.

By CLIVE YOULTON AND ROBERT O'CONNOR