Three lessons learnt in Chelsea’s defeat at West Ham
By Tan Yi Hao
3. Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek do not work in a pivot
Saturday’s game against West Ham highlighted the issues that Chelsea continue to have in the middle of the pitch in the absence of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic. For Jorginho, perhaps his recent string of poor performances for Italy and Chelsea have finally taken a toll on him mentally. From missing decisive penalties for Italy against Switzerland to his poor ball control that gave the ball away for Jadon Sancho to score for Manchester United, Jorginho’s mistake against West Ham was but the latest in a series of errors for club and country. As the player himself is desperate to highlight, Jorginho plays a crucial role in the team, often serving as the last man sitting at the base of Chelsea’s midfield. While the 29-year-old is obviously of strong character by consistently operating in this area of the pitch where any mistake is likely to be costly, it is worth wondering if the constant pressure is starting to have an effect on his game.
For Ruben Loftus-Cheek, playing in a midfield pivot is something that does not come naturally to him. Unable to drive the ball forward in the opposition’s final third as he has to sit back and help screen the back line, there is a case to be made that the Englishman is being held back by the position in which he plays.
Together, Loftus-Cheek and Jorginho were simply unable to cope with the dynamic duo of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek. Just as it was during the match against Watford, albeit to a lesser extent, Chelsea was unable to produce a solid platform upon which chances could be created for the forwards. Havertz and Lukaku were both starved of service on the day and the post-match inquiry as to when Kante will be back in contention is evident as to where the problem is perceived to be at right now. With matches coming up thick and fast, new solutions have to be found—fast.
Next. West Ham read Chelsea like a book in their 3-2 victory. dark
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