Chelsea’s defeat to Sunderland on Sunday was the tale of two penalty decisions. Cole Palmer didn’t get one, but Brian Brobbey did – and Jamie Carragher has given his verdict on both.

The first saw Cole Palmer go down under the challenge of Luke O’Nien. It looked like a blatant penalty, but referee Jarred Gillett delayed, waiting for VAR to make a decision. He was deemed outside the box.

Replays showed that contact began millimetres outside the box, but Palmer was about to enter the box and get a shot off; unlucky. Then, Chelsea conceded a penalty; Levi Colwill fouled striker Brobbey.

Jamie Carragher questions Jarred Gillett after Cole Palmer call

Brobbey gave Chelsea’s defenders hell all afternoon, and when the Dutchman was substituted, it is even claimed that the centre-back duo at the time – Wesley Fofana and Moises Caicedo – clapped him off.

Colwill had been taken off at half-time, with the impression being that Xabi Alonso made a tactical decision rather than an injury. Mike Penders thinks Gillett made the wrong call for Sunderland’s penalty.

On the first penalty, Carragher said that he could not believe Gillett didn’t actually give a foul: “It’s a terrible challenge from Luke O’Nien. What is he thinking? I don’t know. How the ref doesn’t give a foul.

“Inside the box or not; he doesn’t know whether to give a penalty so he is waiting for VAR to help him. There’s a foot that stops just before, and I think they’re saying that. [Can I be sure?] No,” Carragher said.

Carragher delivers a much-needed lesson to Colwill

Then, Carragher gave Colwill a lesson, explaining that he should use Brobbey to go backwards, rather than outmuscling the striker: “Blatant foul. It probably looks like six of one and half a dozen of the other.

“When you’re driving a car, and someone comes into you from behind, no matter what happens, it’s your fault. If you’re a defender and I get myself so tight, this is always going to happen; it’s always a foul.

“You’ve got to go away from him; don’t have contact. You have to be there with an arm so you can push back the other way. He’s so strong; I’m not going to push him forward. I need to push myself backwards.”

Chelsea in centre-back crisis; January can’t come soon enough

Colwill is not the only Chelsea centre-back to make a mistake this season, and to be fair to Colwill, most defenders would struggle with the strength of Brobbey. Enzo Le Fee netted the resulting penalty.

Wesley Fofana endured a dismal week after conceding and missing a penalty against Liverpool, before almost gifting Man United two goals. Maxence Lacroix has done little to prove he was worth £52m.

January cannot come soon enough for Chelsea. Not only for better options, but for strength in depth. Reports have linked them with Antonio Rudiger, while they could recall a current option from a loan.

Ultimately, Chelsea have added experience in goal, in midfield, and up top with Emi Martinez, Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. They didn’t get a centre-back, and now they’re struggling in that role.