Chelsea hold off Bristol Rovers in EFL Cup: Quick takeaways (Video)

Chelsea staved off disaster at Stamford Bridge, slinking away with a 3-2 win over League One’s Bristol Rovers. Chelsea’s undefeated start looks increasingly tenuous.

Chelsea fans could be forgiven for having flashbacks to that awful night against Bradford in January 2015. A third-tier team once again came to west London for an early-round cup fixture. As with the last time, things went as planned through the first half. But after Bristol Rovers converted a penalty kick early in the second half, the result was in doubt until the final whistle.

Bristol Rovers did not have Bradford’s fighting spirit and opportunism. The visitors’ confidence and possession improved after their second goal, but they never truly threatened Asmir Begovic. However, Chelsea never recaptured control of the match. And so what should have been a romping youth showcase became a foggy stalemate.

Chelsea’s youth acted their age

Antonio Conte took advantage of this opportunity to field a young team and rest some starters. Ola Aina and Michy Batshuayi earned their first start, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Victor Moses joining them for the opening whistle.

The youngsters rewarded Conte for his confidence with three goals in 10 minutes. Michy Batshuayi continued his hot streak with a pair of goals on either side of Victor Moses’ first of the year.

Chelsea’s youth played freely and without any noticeable constraints. Antonio Conte clearly wanted them to experiment and not be afraid of mistakes. They made plenty of little errors in timing and positioning, but nothing significant. Cesar Azpilicueta frequently looked exasperated with Victor Moses on the right flank in Bristol’s third, but there were few causes for concern.

Once the tide shifted, the youngsters did not know how to respond. They started playing more cautiously and more tentatively. Instead of free-wheeling passes and drives towards the net, they stayed around the perimeter and took superfluous passes. This alleviated the pressure on Bristol Rovers, and left it to Nemanja Matic to crank shots high and wide because no one else was taking their chances.

Michy Batshuayi earned his place in a two-striker formation

All three Chelsea goals came from point-blank range in the centre of the pitch. Batshuayi scored a brace of true striker goals. His position, instinct and tap-in reactions have long been absent from Chelsea’s play. Even when Diego Costa was at his best two seasons ago, loose balls in front of the goal went unpoached.

Batshuayi knows where he belongs on the pitch. He showed it at Euro 2016 and he is doing it again for Chelsea, with three goals in three games as his pay-off. If Diego Costa can peel himself off of the left flank and join Batshuayi in the box, Chelsea will own the ground in front of the opposition goal.

Chelsea will be extorted for a centre-back

Bristol Rovers’ opening goal came on a nearly free header off a free kick. Peter Hartley was protected by his teammates and unmarked by any defenders, giving him a clear shot to Asmir Begovic’s right side. Ola Aina should have marked Hartley. This could be chalked up to the errors of youth, but it could have been any Chelsea defender making that mistake.

Bristol Rovers’ lack of thrust helped Begovic and the scoreline than Chelsea’s defenders. Chelsea pressed higher late in the second half as they attempted to score and pin Bristol deep in their zone. On a few occasions, Bristol would have the makings of a counter-attack, creating the spectacle of Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic scrambling as the last man back.

Every technical director in the world watched this match and added another zero to their asking price for whichever centre-back Chelsea bids for. The board no longer has time, leverage or optimism to get a better deal or wait for the January window.

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Antonio Conte needs to take his on-pitch fury-fueled passion into the Chelsea boardroom. Whether he slams a scoresheet down on the table and silently stares down Michael Emenalo, or subjects the board to an agonizingly detailed explanation of Chelsea’s woes, he can afford no ambiguity and cannot take no for an answer.

Where was Nathaniel Chalobah?

Nathaniel Chalobah was one of Chelsea’s best midfielders during the preseason tour. Like his other young counterparts, he seemed set to come on as a late substitute in the Premier League and start the cup tournaments.

Yet while Conte handed starts to Aina, Batshuayi, Loftus-Cheek and Moses, Chalobah watched from the sidelines. Among the veterans, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic started, despite being two pieces of driftwood so far this season (with the exception of Cesc’s one shining moment).

Chalobah’s preseason performance seemed sufficient to earn him a cup tournament. Fabregas’ and Matic’s Premier League performances seemed sufficient to earn them a euphemistic day of rest.

Yet even when the squad retook the pitch for the second half with a comfortable (or so we thought) 3-1 lead, Chalobah stayed on the bench. Bringing on Eden Hazard and Oscar for Pedro and Loftus-Cheek, respectively, was a nod to Chelsea’s need to safely see out the game. Antonio Conte was understandably not in the mood to blood a new player, given the affair in front of him.

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Hopefully Chalobah’s exclusion was simply a response to a game that did not go according to plan. Chelsea’s need will only increase as stronger opponents fully exploit Matic’s and Fabregas’s weaknesses.