Chelsea at Leeds lessons learnt: Defensive positives and negatives

Chelsea was forced to play out another goalless draw against Leeds United on Saturday, but the Blues kept their unbeaten streak going. The streak now stands at 13 games in total, and 12 under Tuchel. Chelsea started off with a four-man-defense on Sunday, which is not what we usually see under Tuchel. The Blues created chances, they had some really good looks, but unfortunately, nothing really happened.

So, what are some of the lessons we learnt from this game?

1. Havertz at striker is a genuine shout

Tuchel decided to opt against playing Timo Werner up top, and Kai Havertz played as a sole striker on Saturday for a second straight match. Let me tell you one thing, even if he didn’t score a goal, it was a great site. He played really well in my opinion, and the attack looked much more lively with him spearheading it. He was moving so well off the ball! Havertz was always there when Chelsea had the ball in the attacking third. He was moving around, making space for other teammates, sometimes going up to the ball-carrier and playing more of a false nine role. He made runs in behind the defensive line and his smart movement almost always found him at the right place when a Chelsea player was crossing the ball inside the box.

The German’s decision making was solid and he made sure that he was more involved. Now, with Werner leading the line, you don’t truly notice the liveliness in the attack, just because it isn’t there as much. He makes runs into the box or gets the ball in the flanks to cross it inside, but he doesn’t do what Havertz does. Vice versa.

Therefore, why not try and make them co-exist up top? Werner clearly does well feeding off a supporting striker, and Havertz has shown that he can be the player to run around and link up with others, making space for fellow attackers. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?