Chelsea lose 2-0 to Sunderland and drop to fifth

Chelsea lost 2-0 to Sunderland on November 8, dropping from fourth to fifth in the Premier League, after travelling to the Stadium of Light without several injured players. The defeat followed Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Manchester United and left the club to enter the final international break of the year outside the top four.

Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fée scored from a penalty awarded shortly after a video assistant referee review rejected Cole Palmer’s appeal for a spot kick, according to Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso’s post-match account as reported in an injury update. Sunderland had been bottom of the table before the match, with one win in their first nine league games. Chelsea’s result ended their opportunity to consolidate fourth place.

Alonso said defender Josh Acheampong was recovering from a minor issue and was expected to return after the international break. The manager identified Chelsea’s November 21 match against Leeds as a possible return date, not a confirmed selection. Acheampong had started the club’s previous five matches, according to the injury update.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez had returned to training following surgery for a broken jaw, but Alonso said selecting...