Chelsea Tactics and Transfers: If only football was the only thing
Chelsea beat Tottenham handily 2-0 at the New White Hart Lane on Sunday in a match that helped them consolidate fourth place and silence the recently risen doubters.
That introductory paragraph out of the way, it’s important that this week we discuss a topic that brought shame and an ill feeling to Chelsea’s match at Tottenham Hotspur. Allegations of racist abuse marred the game and ruined what should be one of the best games in British football.
Objects were also thrown at Chelsea’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the match as things became ever more embarrassing and shameful.
Something must be done as it feels increasingly that fan behavior – and not just in British football – is more and more of an issue in what is the world’s greatest and most unifying game.
Briefly, to the football: Frank Lampard took a note from Chelsea’s best manager ever in his game plan for defeating Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham. I have said it a few times this season, but Chelsea should have moved to three at the back sooner.
Having done so, they finally kept a clean sheet and looked like the sort of complete team they have the personnel to be. With Chelsea finally stable at the back, the team was able to move forward with a certain amount of flow and attacking verve that we haven’t seen in several games.
They obviously still have many things to work on, but it’s important to note that Tottenham are one of the better and more talented sides in the country. If Chelsea can keep a clean sheet against them then there really is no excuse for the way they have defended over the course of the past month.
Frank Lampard made genuinely good decisions and displayed a tactical acumen that bodes well for the side moving forward.
With the team recently lacking confidence and slumping to defeats in games they should be winning, a match like this was important. A derby win against a direct rival for the top four is something Chelsea needed very badly.
That just adds to the shame of the game being marred by such purely unacceptable and unbecoming behavior.
Hopefully the culprits are found and punished. Football is one of the most unifying and beautiful sports in the world. The effect that it has on people and the way it is spread across cultures and boundaries like nothing else is important and should be protected.
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London is a beautiful and multicultural city. London derbies are one of the best parts of football in the city. It was a wonderful match and we must hope that the beauty of the game overcomes such ugly behavior.