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Gary Neville: Chelsea defeat shows English football is on the ropes

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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville claims English football is “on the ropes” after Chelsea’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.

Jose Mourinho’s side crashed out at the last-16 stage after Thiago Silva’s extra-time header earned the French side a 2-2 draw, going through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate scoreline.

PSG played three-quarters of the game with 10 men after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s sending off, and the events at Stamford Bridge are another “embarrassment” for the English game, according to Neville.

He told the Sky Sports Champions League Podcast: “It’s a shocker for English football, for the Premier League. I have to say our best-equipped team has gone out to not a particularly special team, but PSG deserved it.

“English football has had moments to reflect in the last two few years. Chelsea are obviously nowhere near as good as we thought they could be.

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Did John Terry get in the way of Gary Cahill during the corner that led to Thiago Silva's goal?

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“We are miles away. It’s in the defending aspect, and the urgency to defend. There are aspects of possession we could improve on, but we are nowhere near good enough defensively.

“We are not preparing our teams, and they are not preparing each other for the big matches in the Champions League, where other teams have more energy, more urgency and better appetite.

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“It’s incredible. We’re going to have to have a good long look at ourselves.

“And I have to say we’re getting embarrassed year in, year out at the moment. It is shocking, really shocking, and until we get an intensity in our game that befits top-level football, it is not going to happen. We are way off, absolutely way off.”

Chelsea lead the Premier League by five points having played a game less than nearest challengers Manchester City, but Neville insists recent months have been a reality check for English football.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic sending off incident against Chelsea
Image: Chelsea couldn't see off 10-man PSG on Wednesday night

After Arsenal’s 3-1 last-16 first leg defeat by Monaco at the Emirates and Manchester City’s 2-1 home defeat by Barcelona, English representation in Europe could be reduced to just one club by next week.

Everton remain in the Europa League, facing Dynamo Kiev in the last 16, but Tottenham and Liverpool were knocked out in the round-of-32 stage and Hull in the qualifying phase.

“We are on the ropes, make no mistake about that. We’ve been hard on Monday Night Football and Super Sunday on some of the defending, and the reason we are hard is because we know it’s going to play out in the big games in Europe.

“There are too many times you watch matches in the Premier League and say ‘what a great match’, with the entertainment and the rest of it.

“But that is not going to work when you come into the real cutting edge, cut throat business of Champions League football.

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho gave his reaction to his side's defeat to PSG

"There is no doubt [Arsenal and Manchester City] are both capable, but it would not surprise me if they both went out.

“City go and win in the Nou Camp? Are they capable of that? I’d say 85-15, 90-10, 95-5, maybe, I would give them a five per cent chance, and that is not being negative, that is just looking at what is in front of them.

“For English football it would be a great boost, but I do not see it happening. Arsenal were so naïve in the first game against Monaco. They could do it, but 80-20 against, those are the best odds I can offer.”

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