Steven Gerrard has given former Liverpool teammate Xabi Alonso credit after Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. Gerrard expected the Blues to win at the Stadium of Light, but they fell short against a desperate Black Cats side.

Chelsea struggled to handle Sunderland’s physicality, particularly that of Brian Brobbey, and never looked likely to score. They were unfortunate to be on the wrong end of two major penalty incidents, but it was still an embarrassing performance.

Alonso has faced scrutiny over some of his decisions, not least his choice to play without a recognised striker, but Gerrard did not criticise him. Instead, the former Liverpool captain praised Alonso for his reaction to another disappointing result for the West London club.

Steven Gerrard impressed by Xabi Alonso after Chelsea’s 1-0 Sunderland defeat

Most Chelsea supporters believe they should have been awarded a penalty for Luke O’Nien’s challenge on Cole Palmer, while others think Levi Colwill did not foul Brian Brobbey for Sunderland’s spot-kick. On another day, the Blues could have won 1-0 and headed into the international break with an important victory.

However, Xabi Alonso did not complain about referee Jarred Gillett or the VAR officials in his post-match interviews. The 44-year-old accepted his team were not good enough and wants to find internal solutions rather than blame factors outside his control.

Steven Gerrard, who knows what it is like to be a manager on the wrong side of crucial decisions after spells at Aston Villa and Rangers, appreciated Alonso’s outlook. He praised the Spaniard’s mature reaction to Chelsea’s poor performance.

“He’s looking in the mirror first and saying he’s responsible for how the team plays and how it looked. And he wasn’t happy with any part of Chelsea’s performance. I really liked that from him, taking ownership and not looking to avoid questions or give us a load of fluff.

“He’s saying, ‘We have had some really good performances but we’re also not happy with these performances that are popping up every now and then.’ It does seem like two steps forward and one step back.”

Results will ultimately determine whether Alonso is successful at Chelsea, but his calm demeanour could be exactly what the Blues’ youthful squad needs. Liam Rosenior was often criticised for saying too much and making some unusual comments, whereas the Spaniard prefers to keep his cards close to his chest.