Following a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday evening, the mentality of Chelsea players has been seriously called into question - by their own manager. 

Maurizio Sarri launched an astonishing rant towards his own squad during his post-match press conference, saying:

"I’m extremely angry, very angry indeed. This defeat was due to our mentality. I can’t accept it. It appears this group of players are extremely difficult to motivate.

"These players don't have a ferocity, it's the type of players they are. This is a team that's never going to be known for its battling qualities."

Wow. It's not often that a manager comes out and publically criticises his own players. But, after Chelsea's performance last weekend, not many can blame him for doing so. 

Sarri's side were so poor from the first minute and Arsenal simply played them off the park for 90 minutes. 

This wasn't the first time that Chelsea have disappointed this season either - and the 'Sarriball' bubble that excited so many people early on, has well and truly popped. 

NOT THE RIGHT SQUAD?

The lack of a scoring striker at Stamford Bridge has no doubt hindered performances, as Sarri quickly lost faith in Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud.  

Instead, he favours playing Eden Hazard as a false 9. But in doing so, really restricts the effectiveness of his star player. 

The Belgian has even come out and said that he feels 'isolated' playing there and as a result, Chelsea sometimes suffer in attack without his influence. 

But, Hazard continues to be deployed as a false 9 - it happened under Antonio Conte, and it's happening under Sarri too. 

THE HAZARD PROBLEM

And following the Italian's comments about Chelsea's mentality, some have pointed the finger at Hazard, claiming that he's one of the players underperforming for his boss.  

Many, including Sarri, are even growing frustrated with his recent showings, but according to the winger himself, this is nothing new.  

In an interview with France Football, Hazard has hit back at this criticism, claiming that his managers have never been satisfied with how he plays. 

"I didn’t just frustrate Conte. In my career, I’ve frustrated all my managers, and now, I’m frustrating Sarri. I frustrated Mourinho," he said. 

"They all think you need to score more, do more of this and more of that. I’ll also frustrate the next manager I have." 

A WORRYING SIGN? 

If Chelsea fans weren't worried about Hazard's future amid the countless rumours linking him with Real Madrid, they might just be after this. 

It sounds like he's growing tired of the heavy expectations put on his shoulders at the club - and that could one day drive him away.