Former Players blast David Luiz over display against Atletico

Bengaluru, September 30: Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has blasted David Luiz after Chelsea's win against Atletico Madrid, calls the Brazilian defender as sluggish.

Luiz gave the Spanish side an opportunity for a break through when he got the shirt of Lucas Hernandez while trying to protect a ball from a corner just when Chelsea were dominating the game. The referee immediately blew the whistle and gave Atletico a penalty which changed the momentum of the match then.

Antoine Griezmann ventured up to put the home side ahead, however, later goals from Alvaro Morata and Michy Batshuayi guaranteed Chelsea left the Spanish capital with three points. Keane, however, couldn't ignore Luiz's part in Chelsea's execution and claimed he let his side down with such poor display.

“It's madness really. It's a form of cheating,” Keane said on ITV.

“Why he's doing it is beyond me. He's lazy and he's letting his team-mates down. He knows himself. There's no need. We see a lot of that going on, so I'm glad he got punished for it. It's a form of cheating.”

To Keane's support ex-professionals Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard also left no stones harmed to blame the player with such shaky display as both suggested the Brazilian's display has been poor this season.

“It's the second time in a week he has let his team-mates down (after) getting the sending off at Stamford Bridge last week,” Steven Gerrard said on BT Sport.

“This is a moment of madness at a time when Chelsea were totally dominating this game and looked likely to make the first breakthrough.”

Whereas Ferdinand said: “David Luiz has left himself and his team-mates down here.”

“You see he's the wrong side, he knows he's the wrong side and he gets a handful of the shirt and the referee is in a great position. He doesn't even protest.”

Luiz was one of Chelsea's best performers in their last year's Premier League title-winning season but his 2017/18 form has not yet got a good start. The 30-year-old was sent-off for a rough tackle on Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac two weeks back in their 0-0 London derby encounter gaining himself a three-match ban.