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Chelsea: Three lessons learnt in important victory at Tottenham

By Hridyam Arora

Chelsea's German head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) reacts with Chelsea's Brazilian defender Thiago Silva at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's German head coach Thomas Tuchel (L) reacts with Chelsea's Brazilian defender Thiago Silva at the final whistle during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in London on January 27, 2021. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Chelsea players leave the pitch dejected following the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Chelsea players leave the pitch dejected following the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

3. There are things that need work

Like I said in the last slide, the Blues have quite a few things they need to work on, as we saw from the game against Tottenham. The first half was good, but the second half could’ve been a lot better. Chelsea was playing well in the first half, but Tottenham wasn’t and the Blues should’ve anticipated that Tottenham would turn it up a notch in the second. Therefore, when Spurs showed improvement, the Blues should’ve as well—that didn’t happen though.

Tuchel’s side clearly struggled and limped to a win. Tottenham pressed high up the pitch, and without Silva in the defensive line, Chelsea had a hard time getting out of tough situations when it was pressed at the back. There were so many unnecessary giveaways in the second half that neither Tuchel nor the players would be even slightly happy with when looking back. Sometimes, there was a lack of concentration, sometimes it was just Tottenham pressing so efficiently. The Blues secured the win, but it’s safe to say that they wouldn’t be fully satisfied with the win, simply because they know that they could’ve done better in the second half. Mateo Kovacic was so active in the first half in getting out of tight spaces, but that wasn’t utilized well in the second half, especially after he was taken off.

One of the biggest problems with this Chelsea side right now is consistency. I’m not talking about consistency from game-to-game either; I’m talking about consistency from half-to-half and even minute-to-minute. To transcend the limitations of being a team that competes for a top four finish, and become actual title contenders, a team needs consistency on all fronts. That’s missing at this moment in time. It’ll take a while to fix, but it’s crucial for a team with such high aspirations.

Next. Chelsea: Mason Mount's latest role has interesting implications. dark

What are three lessons you learnt in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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