Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Norwich City was an absolutely one-sided game, as many expected it to be. It was a tale of boys versus men throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes. There was no doubt that the former Championship side would struggle against the Champions League winners, however, no one expected this kind of dominance. The Canaries had managed to keep two clean sheets before their match against the Blues and thus, some thought that they might put up some sort of resistance against the European Champions. Nevertheless, the game just proved that the two teams were in a completely different ballpark and there was just no competition between the two sides. The game ended 7-0 and it will be a long, painful return home for Norwich fans.
All of that being said, let’s take a look at the three lessons we learnt in the game:
1. No strikers needed for Thomas Tuchel
One of the main worries for Chelsea fans was the fact that both of their main strikers, Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were out with injuries. This was not a big concern for Thomas Tuchel though as he was already used to playing with Kai Havertz as a false nine. Chelsea didn’t skip a beat—even without its two No. 9s—as it managed to put a plethora past the Canaries.
The tactical decisions made by Tuchel worked out brilliantly for the Blues on Saturday as the seven goals on the afternoon came from all over the pitch. Ben Chilwell, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount and Reece James were the scorers and everyone played brilliantly to cement their dominance in the league. It was fantastic to watch the team—specifically the youngsters—boss the whole game. Hudson-Odoi really enjoyed his more advanced role, per usual. This performance proved that the Blues do not need a striker to score goals every day and everyone has the potential to score in this side.
Saturday’s display was very similar to how Pep Guardiola likes to play nowadays, especially against weaker opposition. The Manchester City manager does not play with a striker. Instead, his tactics allow the whole team to be involved in the attack and whoever is through on goal can score. This worked like a charm for Chelsea. Nevertheless, fans do hope that Lukaku and Werner will be back soon and scoring goals regularly again in the near future.