Jason Cundy says Chelsea summer signing Jorrel Hato ‘definitely’ should have been subbed off during the Champions League draw with Qarabag.
Premier League giants Chelsea were expected to prove too strong for relative minnows Qarabag but returned to Stamford Bridge with just a point.
Enzo Maresca’s side started well and took the lead through impressive youngster Estevao Willian only to trail 2-1 at half-time.
Alexandro Garnacho’s second-half equaliser earned Chelsea a point and ensured the Premier League side avoided a historic and embarrassing defeat.
Qarabag had lost all seven of their previous matches against English opposition and were beaten by an aggregate score of 10-0 in two games against Chelsea during their last Champions League campaign.
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According to Transfermarkt, the hosts’ squad is worth just £22m compared to £1.5bn Chelsea.
Ex-defender Cundy said Chelsea ‘let themselves down’ in Azerbaijan and was particularly critical of £37m summer signing Hato, insisting he should have been ‘hooked at half-time’.
Much was expected of Hato following his move from Ajax but the 19-year-old Netherlands international has started less than half of Chelsea’s games so far this season and he made two glaring errors against Qarabag.
‘We weren’t great,’ Cundy, a presenter on Chelsea TV, told talkSPORT. ‘But when you’re rubbish, get something out of it – and we got a point.
‘The game was so open and loose. Both sides could’ve won. Neither side deserved to win it. We let ourselves down tonight.
‘[Jorrel] Hato had one I’m afraid. Individual errors from him. He was lucky to stay on the pitch at half-time if I’m honest. I would’ve taken him off, I would definitely have taken him off at half-time.
‘The subs made a difference and Estevao was the best player on the pitch. We live to fight another day.
‘I’ve seen us win the Champions League twice. You’re not always great. You need to find a way to get through to the knockout stages.’
Ex-Everton midfielder Leon Osman was also critical of Hato after Chelsea’s Champions League stalemate and said he hopes he ‘learns a lot’ from the experience.
‘Jorrel Hato was at fault for Qarabag’s first goal and even before that there was a moment where he got himself into a bit of trouble,’ Osman said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.
‘It was when Camilo Duran nearly took the ball of him and nearly got a penalty-kick. I thought that would’ve been a warning sign for him to make sure he sharpened up for the rest of the match but unfortunately that trait continued.
‘Chelsea will feel a bit unfortunate that the ball dropped to Patrick Andrade, who finished it brilliantly, because it all came from a mistake against the run of play.
‘In that one moment, everything changed and Qarabag had the equaliser to bring them on the front foot.
‘Chelsea will have wanted to work their way back into the game and not do anything silly, but unfortunately Hato followed it up with another mistake a few minutes later.
‘It was a really tough spell for the young man, who I hope will learn a lot from that first half to take into the rest of his career.’
Chelsea impressed in their London derby win over Tottenham on Saturday but failed to find the same energy against Qarabag.
A disappointing 2-2 draw leaves Maresca’s side 12th in the Champions League table after four games. The top-eight automatically advance to the knockout stages.
The Blues, currently seventh in the Premier League, return to domestic action on Saturday against Wolves, who recently sacked manager Vitor Pereira.
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