Maxence Lacroix has been fortunate to escape much of the criticism following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham this weekend. Mike Penders’ costly error that led to Spurs’ opening goal and Cole Palmer’s red card have dominated the post-match discussion.

However, Lacroix deserves far more scrutiny for his disappointing performance in Chelsea’s biggest home game of the Premier League season. The French defender not only made a mistake that summed up the Blues’ lacklustre display, but his bold pre-match comments made his performance even harder to defend.

One Maxence Lacroix mistake summed up Chelsea’s embarrassing Tottenham defeat

Maxence Lacroix made his feelings clear in the matchday programme before the Spurs game, insisting that Chelsea should expect to beat their London rivals. His comments left little doubt about his confidence in Xabi Alonso’s side ahead of the clash.

“Everyone was speaking about this game when I signed for Chelsea,” Lacroix said. “They say, ‘Okay, Tottenham will be a tough game.’ I say that we are Chelsea, and normally you have to win against Tottenham, and this is what we do, what we will do.”

Those comments made Chelsea’s performance even more infuriating. The Blues struggled in almost every facet of the game, but Lacroix deserves particular criticism for allowing Mathys Tel to score Tottenham’s second goal.

After Tel cut inside from the left wing, Lacroix stuck out a leg but failed to make a meaningful challenge, letting the Spurs forward glide past him and fire into the bottom corner. The 26-year-old should have challenged Tel more aggressively, and if he could not stop him cleanly, he should have brought him down and accepted a yellow card rather than letting him shoot.

Chelsea were already facing an uphill battle after falling 1-0 behind and being reduced to 10 men following Cole Palmer’s red card. However, they still had a chance to get something from the game before Tel’s goal effectively ended it, as Lacroix’s weak defending made an already difficult situation considerably worse.

The former Crystal Palace man has generally impressed this season, but he is supposed to be a reliable presence at the heart of Chelsea’s back three. His lack of aggression in such a crucial moment was unacceptable, particularly after his confident pre-match comments.