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At a Glance

• Joao Pedro hands Chelsea the advantage in the first half.
• Atalanta the stronger side after the interval and equalise through the striker.
• Charles de Ketelaere scores a last-gasp decisive goal for the home side.
• The defeat means Chelsea slide to eleventh place in the league phase of the tournament.
• The top eight progress automatically for the last 16.

The London club's hopes of securing a place automatically for the European Cup knockout stages were suffered a setback as their Italian opponents overturned a deficit to triumph in Bergamo.

Each club entered this game with matching points tallies in the initial stage of this year's competition, having secured three victories, drawn, and lost to be on 10 points.

For extended periods there was little to distinguish them in this contest too, even though Chelsea went ahead in the opening 45 minutes when Joao Pedro finished Reece James' cross.

But Atalanta consistently appeared a danger going forwards, with ex- Premier League attacker Ademola Lookman issues for the backline.

James shot wide in the second half but Atalanta upped the pressure and justly drew level when former West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca a cross.

Alejandro Garnacho drove a powerful shot straight at the goalkeeper but they got the winning goal in the closing stages when the Chelsea defenders backed off Charles de Ketelaere, who took full advantage with a powerful strike.

The visitors tried to rescue a draw in stoppage time but a superb save by Marco Carnesecchi denied Joao Pedro.

The result means Chelsea fall out of the automatic qualification places—the positions that qualify automatically for the knockouts—to eleventh with two group stage fixtures left to play.

The Bergamo club, in contrast, jump up to third place, three points clear of the Blues.

Blues Breakdown - Worrying Sequence Continues

This was a hugely frustrating result for Chelsea as even a point was keeping them well placed to achieve the top eight position they require to avoid the lottery of the qualifying play-off round.

But they lost focus in defence with seven minutes remaining and Atalanta seized the moment.

The Italian side are in good form at the moment so this was always going to be a tough examination for the Blues, but they will be annoyed to be leaving with nothing after taking the lead.

But the wider issue is that this extends Chelsea's concerning streak of form in all competitions.

Since beating Barcelona 3-0 at the close of November they are now winless in their last four matches.

Too Many Rotations Proving Costly?

Manager Enzo Enzo Maresca made five changes for this match as he persisted with his run of rotating players in and out of the starting 11.

The changes here followed after he made the identical amount for the loss to Leeds and six for the tie with AFC Bournemouth prior to the trip to Atalanta.

The coach will see squad rotation as vital as he attempts to manage players' minutes and challenge both at home and abroad, but he insisted the core group of players remains the same for key fixtures.

"I think tonight [in] the first XI we had eight or nine players who featured against Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona, and the Gunners," he said.

"If you look at the five alterations that we made compared to Bournemouth it may be a change but it involves the same eight or nine players who played Barcelona.

"The players who played this evening are the individuals playing almost all the matches."

Up Next for These Sides?

The Blues' next European fixture sees them welcome Pafos on Wednesday, 21 January (20:00 GMT).

Atalanta, on the other hand, are at home to Athletic Club at the same time.