Analysis: What is going wrong for Chelsea in the first half?

Chelsea has been one of the most dominant sides in the Premier League so far, and it has even secured the No. 1 spot in the table after last weekend. However, it has to be said that the first half of the game against Tottenham Hotspur was not going the Blues’ way. The team struggled a lot in the midfield and was under constant pressure from Spurs. In the end, Chelsea did manage to go home with a 3-0 win. Nevertheless, the game could have ended up very differently had the Blues not defended superbly in the first half. This is not the first time that the London side has struggled in the first half either. Chelsea struggled in the first half against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Zenit and now Tottenham.

The Blues scored the opening goal in the first half at Anfield, but they cracked under the pressure being put on by the Reds. Ultimately, Liverpool got a penalty and leveled the score. Chelsea came out a much better side in the second half and defended as a unit to get a point with 10 men. While playing against a top side such as Liverpool at Anfield is tough, the Blues’ performance against Villa was questionable. They scored the first goal but once again became a bit laid back after that, and Villa kept asking questions. Saul Niguez lost the ball a few times in dangerous positions and thanks to the heroics of Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy, the London side kept its lead going into the break. The Blues were better in the second half again. Regardless, Villa ended the game with more shots and more shots on target than Chelsea—a relatively worrying stat line.

Chelsea has been quite poor in the first half against its last few opponents, so what’s going wrong out of the gate?

The European Champions did not have a very comfortable first game back in the Champions League either. Zenit was supposed to be an easy opponent, however, the Russian side defended in an organized fashion. Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech did not have the creativity to cut through the defense. In the end, it took a proper striker’s header by Romelu Lukaku to win them the match. Similarly, against Spurs, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side was by far the better team in the opening portion. Although Chelsea came back with a fury in the second half, had it not been for the centerbacks and Kepa Arrizabalaga, Tottenham would have surely taken the lead in the first half.

What is going wrong?

Simply put, Chelsea is losing its creativity and sharpness in the third half. With an amazing midfield duo of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, the defensive aspect of the Blues’ game is fine. However, when it comes to the attacking duties, Mount hasn’t been showing his best form. Kai Havertz has improved a lot, but even he could do a bit better on the ball. Ziyech could not produce much with his time on the ball either. The last game where the team really clicked was against Arsenal. In that match, Havertz and Mount were running about freely. Now, they are being closed down too quickly and they end up losing the ball quite often. Against Spurs, most of the first half was played inside the Chelsea half and as soon as the Blues could counterattack, they lost possession. It was frustrating—to say the least—and if they do not improve, it could become a huge hindrance.

Giving Mount a rest and playing Timo Werner in his place could give Chelsea the boost in speed and creativity that it currently needs. The German had a big impact off the bench in the derby and even racked up an assist. Werner’s pace makes him a formidable opponent and he has learnt how to make space by dragging defenders away from their designated areas with runs. He has the tendency to pass the ball a lot more than Mount, which gave him six more assists than the Englishman last year. Tuchel should also incorporate new tactics with Mount, Werner and Havertz. The main tactic now is to pass the ball to Lukaku, who receives the ball, turns his man and tries to shoot. These instructions cannot work all season, they need more creativity in the midfield. Christian Pulisic can be utilised to help with this. As of now, it seems teams have figured out Chelsea’s style and that is why it is having a tough time in the final two-thirds of the park.

The Blues have another big match coming up against Manchester City in the league and they have to perform better than they did against Spurs. If Chelsea gives City the number of chances it gave its last few opponents, the game could be over before the midway point. Although the Blues have a fantastic defensive record, they cannot just play the game in their own half and they have to take the game to City if they want to take three points.

Do you think it is time for Chelsea to implement changes in the midfield? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!