According to a report by Flashscore on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Chelsea had a difficult opening 45 minutes against Sunderland, going into the half-time break 1-0 down after Enzo Le Fee scored from the penalty spot in the 36th minute.

Levi Colwill was responsible for giving away the penalty after holding an opponent inside the box, while some of his teammates also failed to take advantage of their goalscoring opportunities.

1. Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill had a difficult first half after committing the defensive mistake that allowed Sunderland to take the lead. The Chelsea defender was penalised for holding an opposition player inside the penalty area in the 34th minute. The referee checked the incident through VAR, but the initial decision remained unchanged. Colwill was also shown a yellow card for the offence. Enzo Le Fee took responsibility for the penalty and successfully sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to put Sunderland ahead.

2. Romeo Lavia

Romeo Lavia missed a good opportunity to help Chelsea get back into the game before half-time. The midfielder received a cross in a dangerous position near the edge of the penalty area in the 41st minute, but his effort went narrowly wide of the left post. It was a promising chance for the Blues to equalise, but Lavia failed to find the target.

3. Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rogers also failed to make much impact in Chelsea's attack during the first half. The forward had an opportunity in the 25th minute when he connected with a lofted ball inside the penalty area. However, his header from close to the penalty spot went just wide of the right post. He also attempted to create an opportunity with a cross during stoppage time, but Sunderland's defence dealt with the situation without difficulty.

4. Mike Penders

Mike Penders could not stop Sunderland from scoring when Enzo Le Fee took the penalty. The Chelsea goalkeeper dived towards the bottom-left corner but was unable to reach the ball as the Sunderland midfielder placed his effort beyond his reach. Although Penders conceded the goal, he could hardly be blamed for the situation because Colwill's mistake had given Sunderland the penalty in the first place. Nevertheless, the goal added to Chelsea's disappointing first-half performance.