Chelsea’s defensive battery closed down every West Ham pass lane to Andy Carroll
By George Perry
Chelsea’s defensive trio had one job against West Ham United: neutralize Andy Carroll. They accomplished their task with rigourous effectiveness.
With Michail Antonio suspended for yesterday’s London derby, West Ham relied almost entirely on Andy Carroll for their offensive chances. West Ham focussed their attack on serving high crosses into the box towards Carroll. Chelsea’s defence played as a cohesive unit to neutralize that threat from every direction.
Andy Carroll’s pass statistics reveal the extent of Chelsea’s blockade. Darren Randolph – West Ham’s goalkeeper – competed more passes to Carroll than any other Hammer. Carroll received only 22 passes overall. Two of those were in Chelsea’s box, with one leading to a chance. Nearly all the rest of Carroll’s service were long balls that Carroll picked up just inside Chelsea’s half.
Despite the one-dimensional nature of West Ham’s attack, Chelsea needed a coordinated defensive effort to keep Carroll at bay. The obvious mismatch between Andy Carroll and Cesar Azpilicueta created an inviting target for the Hammers’ crosses and aerial long balls. David Luiz therefore had to shift to cover some of the aerial threat, without creating a new opening for Carroll to occupy.
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Knowing that West Ham needed to get the ball into deep positions to set up the final ball towards Carroll, the Blues’ defence perfectly disrupted West Ham’s forward movement. They prevented West Ham from getting within one pass of Andy Carroll. Getting the ball out became paramount, and Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz made 21 of Chelsea’s 30 clearances.
On the few occasions the defensive battery did not interdict a West Ham ball into the box, Thibaut Courtois was there to punch and palm the ball towards safety. Early in the game, Victor Moses took his turn in the air, as well. Carroll led with an elbow and somewhat head-butted Moses in mid-air. Yet the West Ham man came off worse and required several minutes of treatment.
Gary Cahill won five of seven aerial duels, and David Luiz won all four of his attempts. Cesar Azpilicueta only won two of seven, but late in the game showed his adaptability in countering Carroll’s size.
Knowing that he had no chance against Carroll in the air, Azpilicueta positioned his body low as Carroll went into a jump. Azpilicueta deflected Carroll’s angle of attack without drawing a foul. The ball glanced harmlessly off of Carroll’s head. Azpilicueta used his highly effective ground tactics to win an aerial battle against a player 15 centimetres taller than him.
Next: Chelsea's player ratings in tepid derby win at West Ham
Chelsea’s defence has performed remarkably – surprisingly – well this season given how makeshift they are as individuals and a battery. Against West Ham and Andy Carroll, they looked like one defensive unit rather than three centre-backs on a line. This will certainly give Antonio Conte a new dimension to consider when he plots his lineup next season.