Chelsea: 10 things learned in Thomas Tuchel’s first 10 matches

5. The defense has become a rock

Easily the most improved factor of Chelsea’s play has been their defense. The switch to three at the back has a ton to do with this but the Blues are simply looking more organized and smarter in their decisions throughout the pitch.

Chelsea is taking a note from Julian Nagelsmann’s branch of pressing and using a pendulum movement. The wingbacks will join the forwards in the press which causes the whole back line to shift in that direction. The far side wingback will drop back making the shape almost like a four at the back. This has helped Chelsea maintain numerical advantages on defense without getting caught out of shape. Even if the opposition gets through the press, the dual sixes are there to cover with the back three behind them too. The opponent is either funneled into traffic or out wide with only a cross into traffic as an option.

The results are evident not just in how few goals the Blues have conceded but in how few shots they are facing. Chelsea is blanking some of the best offensive players in the world through collective effort. And on top of that, a great deal of possession is yet another safety blanket the Blues can use to protect their goal. No team has figured out a way through yet and this might be the new normal in most matches.

6. The attack is as limp as ever

One of the biggest factors in the winter drop in form was that attack going cold. Timo Werner’s form disappeared, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz were out, Callum Hudson-Odoi was seemingly only trusted as a super sub, Christian Pulisic was either injured or out of form, and Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud were left alone on an island.

One of the main reasons Tuchel was hired was because of his reputation as an attacking coach, but also a belief that he could unlock Havertz and Werner. While Werner is certainly playing with a greater confidence, he is a victim of a weak attack like the rest of the squad.

A lot of this is related to the three at the back. While it allows for a much more solid defensive and possession base, it puts a ton of demand on attacking movements and individual brilliance to open up opponents. Chelsea either has to transition quickly (which has improved greatly) or they need one player to do something special. Often both need to happen.

So, just as the defense has been letting in few shots, the offense hasn’t been setting many up. Players simply aren’t getting into good enough positions fast enough to be threatening. Chelsea has had near 60 percent possession in several games yet, with an added man on defense, they struggle to do much of anything with it other than stop the opponent from having the ball.

A formation switch could alleviate this, as it did when Lampard went back to four at the back from his 3-4-3. But the question now is the same as it was then: can the defense hold up well enough without the extra man?