Chelsea vs Villarreal: Three lessons learnt in Super Cup triumph
Infamous for his disagreement with former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri and his error prone goalkeeping, Kepa Arrizabalaga proved his doubters wrong on Wednesday. He helped Chelsea secure its second UEFA Super Cup title by beating Spanish side Villarreal on penalties (6-5) after the score was level by the end of extra time at 1-1.
This match was one for the neutrals to enjoy as both the teams had a whole host of chances to score goals. The Blues started as the better team in the first half and their good start was rewarded as Hakim Ziyech slotted in a cross from Kai Havertz in the 27′. Unfortunately, toward the end of the first half, Ziyech had to be substituted after he injured his shoulder while defending a corner. Villarreal ended the first half as the better team and should have equalized after Alberto Moreno rattled the bar from close range.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga was the hero as Chelsea defeated Villarreal in penalties to win the Super Cup.
The Spanish side was the better side for the majority of the second half and should have scored another goal after a misplaced pass from Edouard Mendy found Gerrard Moreno, who struck the pole. Finally, the Yellows’ perseverance was rewarded after Moreno finished off a good passing sequence, which started with Antonio Rudiger’s poor clearance. In the extra time, it seemed that Chelsea was now again on its toes and more focused after a bad second half performance.
Christian Pulisic missed a guilt-edged chance to take the lead in the 100′ when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper, but dragged his shot wide. Then toward the end of extra time, to everyone’s surprise, Thomas Tuchel subbed on Arrizabalaga for the penalties. This move turned out to be a masterstroke. Being the first team to take a penalty, the Blues could not have found themselves in the worst position after Kai Havertz missed the first chance. Thanks to the Spaniard though, Chelsea was able to get back into it. Arrizabalaga saved the penalties of Aissa Mandi and Raul Albiol to help the club win theSuper Cup.
Here are the three lessons learnt from Wednesday’s Super Cup win over Villarreal:
1. Callum Hudson-Odoi will have a new role this season
Since the arrival of Tuchel, Callum Hudson-Odoi has played the majority of his games as a right wingback. There seems to be a very good feeling within the club regarding the 20-year-old with many believing that this season can be the one where he kick starts his Chelsea career. If it was not clear beforehand, it is now, the German coach views Hudson-Odoi as a wingback. It seems as if the Englishman will spend most of his season there.
Just like last season, we can see that Hudson-Odoi has flaws in his game. Being only 20, he has time to improve on them. The England U21 international has a lot of pace and dribbling skills in his locker, which is beneficial for his position, but being a wingback also means the player should be sound with the defensive part of the game. Suffice it to say, Hudson-Odoi is not quite there. The youngster can sometimes lose focus and get dispossessed in dangerous positions, which fans saw Wednesday against Villarreal.
Along with all of this, the academy graduate’s play in the final third seems to be lacking ideas at times. This more often than not results in losing possession in threatening spaces. To have any chance of playing regularly for the club this season, he needs to adapt his game accordingly and grab the opportunity of playing in a position where the club is low in numbers.