Chelsea absolutely walloped Norwich with multiple goal scorers. It was a complete, dominant display from start to finish and the scorers, especially hat trick hero Mason Mount, are rightfully getting praise.
But all too often in moments like this, there are those that deserve glory but get lost in the lime light others. Chelsea defeated Norwich 7-0, and that is a victory of the attackers. But the defense deserves its moment in the sun for giving them the platform.
Football is a simple game. If you have the ball, you can score. If you don’t have the ball, you can’t score. Easy. It’s why managers like Pep Guardiola favor possession so much. Possession becomes a means of defense just as much as offense at some point. Jurgen Klopp takes a similar approach from the other side of things. The press may be a defensive tactic, but its purpose is offensive in nature. Tuchel has one foot in each camp and Norwich was a great reflection of that.
First of all, there is the notion that shots lead to more shots. The Blues saw that plenty last week against Brentford as they gained more and more momentum in the match. Norwich had no such luck. They eventually had two shots (one on target, one off) and nothing more. The defense cut down any attacks before they could progress forward.
Not only that, Norwich couldn’t even pull off a single pass inside the box per WhoScored. The defensive apparatus comprising of Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic cut out everything before it could be even close to a danger for Edouard Mendy. The keeper may as well have brought his lawn chair and some magazines or books.
But the defense doesn’t stop at the players that are behind the play. The press is also vitally important and the trio of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Callum Hudson-Odoi delayed Norwich’s attempts to get out. Ben Chilwell and Reece James further added to the misery for the canaries.
And then there is the idea of defense being a means to attack. As soon as Chelsea won the ball back, no matter where it was, they played forward quickly. Either through a dribble or a pass, the back three and midfielders progressed the ball faster than Norwich could prepare. The more this happened, the deeper Norwich would start their defense, allowing Chelsea’s defense to push higher and higher.
A lot of this also comes down to the back three shape. A back three almost always has a spare man for counters so one defender can commit while another stays behind to sweep a loose ball. Then, in possession, someone like Antonio Rudiger can burst forward without a marker because he’s starting from so deep. If he had any type of long shot on him, he’d already have a new contract.
None of this is revolutionary stuff, especially for a Thomas Tuchel side. The Blues won the Champions League on the back of a great defense. If Chelsea wins anything this season, the story will likely be the same. The defense gives the offense a platform to succeed and right now the Blues are very successful.