Chelsea just needs to take care of business, despite injuries

Few Chelsea supporters expected any serious challenge from Malmo prior to the Blues’ match-up with the Swedish champion, so a final score of 4-0 was no surprise at all. Thomas Tuchel’s men looked dominant from the opening whistle, controlling a large majority of the possession (73 percent to be exact) and never allowed their opponents a clear-cut opportunity to score. While the injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner are obviously concerning, this was precisely the kind of performance Chelsea needed after a long stretch of difficult games.

The first two months of the 2021/22 season took a toll on the European champions. They squared off with Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus while also taking part in four London derbies during August and September, but will now face an easier run of fixtures over the next three weeks. Norwich, Newcastle and Burnley are the Blues’ next three challengers, all of whom currently reside in the Premier League’s relegation zone. Anything less than nine points from those matches would be detrimental to a serious run at the title.

Chelsea needs to focus on getting maximum return from its upcoming matches, despite the unfortunate injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner

Returning to the game against Malmo, Chelsea’s defense was the most impressive unit on the pitch, in my opinion. The back three of Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen limited the opposition attack to only two total shots, neither of which were on target. Ben Chilwell and Cesar Azpilicueta on the wings were instrumental in maintaining possession deep in the Swedish side’s half for most of the game by eliminating the passing lanes that could be used to start fast breaks. Especially considering how crucial Edouard Mendy’s saves were at the weekend, the Senegalese shot-stopper deserved a day off.

Christensen was, perhaps unsurprisingly, my Man of the Match for Chelsea. The Dane’s first goal in the famous royal blue will obviously grab the headlines, but his display in defense was worthy of the honor by itself. Malmo’s striker on the left side, Veljko Birmancevic, was the target for many of his team’s clearances, but any attempt by the Serbian international to speed past Christensen was shut down immediately—if the ball reached his feet at all. While the finish on Chelsea’s opener might have looked slightly clumsy due the abundance of flailing limbs, controlling a cross well enough to even direct it toward goal is a difficult skill that most central defenders would be unlikely to attempt.

Jorginho continuing his charge for the Ballon d’Or was another positive takeaway from the rainy night in west London. The midfield maestro looked cooler than ever at the penalty spot, converting both of his goals in a similar manner, although diverting slightly from his trademark hop, skip and a jump technique. He fired both shots into the middle part of the net, which made both of Malmo’s keepers look foolish in their attempted dives. Whether or not the Brazilian-born Italian wins the biggest prize in world football does not matter to me in the grand scheme of things. However, it would be nice to see a Chelsea representative finally take home the award for the first time in its history. Lionel Messi already has six shiny gold balls, does he really need another?

Of course, the injury concerns for Lukaku and Werner could ultimately prove to be costly, depending on how long they persist. There is never an optimal time for a team to battle through an injury crisis, but the weakest stretch in the entire season schedule is about as good as it gets. Moving through this run, Tuchel will need to help his players maintain the same mindset they entered Wednesday’s match with: just take care of business.