Chelsea: Three lessons learnt against Spurs in preseason

Chelsea settled for honors even against Tottenham in the Blues’ last Mind Series match. The first half saw Chelsea in complete and utter control over their London rivals. Spurs only got back into the game when their starting XI began to face what was effectively Chelsea’s loan army. If that comes off as bitter, look no further than the complete and utter lack of celebration for the equalizer to see how Spurs knew they were well beat.

Regardless, that brings Chelsea’s preseason to a close. Next up is the Super Cup against Villareal and then Premier League match day one. What lessons were learned in this final match?

1. Stop trying to make four at the back happen

Chelsea came out in the second half and made a few subs. Those subs put the Blues into a 4-2-3-1 sort of shape (unless Christian Pulisic was just confused about tracking back). It was, quite simply, terrible.

The complete dominance of Chelsea in the first half evaporated almost instantaneously. The defense looked far more open and Tottenham clawed their way back into the game. This four at the back only lasted about 15 minutes, but the damage was well done.

Many have advocated for a return to four at the back throughout the summer. It seems, no matter who the players are, Chelsea just can’t justify that. The club has more control and is better organized with three at the back. Four at the back may yield more chances, but that’s not worth the risk.

Simply put, unless Chelsea makes some massive transfers that aren’t even in the rumor mill, four at the back simply isn’t viable. 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 can get the job done just fine and maybe, against a minnow in a cup, the Blues can revisit four at the back.