The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea at Tottenham: Three things to look for in Carabao Cup semifinal

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Thomas Tuchel the manager / head coach of Chelsea celebrates with Romelu Lukaku his players at full time during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 5, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Thomas Tuchel the manager / head coach of Chelsea celebrates with Romelu Lukaku his players at full time during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 5, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 05: Malang Sarr of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 5, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 05: Malang Sarr of Chelsea during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 5, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images) /

2. Formation

Tuchel’s side won the Champions League last season on the back of one formation: a 3-4-3. The Blues didn’t deviate—aside from the game at Leeds—despite their attacking struggles throughout much of the back half of the season. However, as soon as Chelsea smashed its club transfer record for Romelu Lukaku, the way in which they would play during the current campaign became unclear given the Belgian is best utilized in a two-striker formation. Tuchel alternated between the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 depending on who was healthy in his team throughout much of the season before finally answering supporters’ cries in the first leg against Tottenham and changing shape completely. Chelsea lined up in a 4-2-2-2, finally testing out a four-at-the-back for the first time since that infamous trip to Elland Road.

The Blues returned to a 3-4-3 against Chesterfield, but the dominance displayed in the first leg with a back four makes many wonder how Tuchel will set his side up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The four-at-the-back likely caught Conte off guard in the first leg. That’s not to say the talent gap isn’t obvious, it is, but the curveball thrown by his opposite number cannot be discounted either. The Blues are best in a back three and it wouldn’t be surprising in the least to see them counter the Italian’s signature formation with that of their own.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech’s inclusions in the starting XI against Chesterfield ensured Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta would be fresh for the away leg. They will likely get the nods at each wingback spot as Tuchel hinted in his pre-match press conference that he may be willing to take a risk with Thiago Silva starting at the back. Chelsea would now have three healthy centerbacks to counter Conte’s formation and control possession comfortably. The 4-2-2-2 experiment was just that. It showed the Blues have options down the line, but this doesn’t mean they have a new identity ahead of one of the biggest games of the year.

Home/EFL Cup