Three lessons learnt in Chelsea vs Spurs: Questions answered

This was a game in which Chelsea simply needed to win. Luckily for the Blues, the team put in a good performance to overpower its fiercest rival, Tottenham Hotspur, to do so. Thomas Tuchel got it all correct on the night with the change of formation, change of tactics and the players on the field. In turn, this resulted in an important win for Tuchel and the players before the international break and some much-needed rest.

Here are three lessons we learnt from Chelsea’s dominant 2-0 victory over Spurs on Sunday:

1. When the entire team plays, the entire team wins

This was a strong team performance, as it should always be from the reigning Champions of Europe. However, lately, fingers have been pointed to individuals on the field and even the manager. The truth is, if everyone doesn’t do their part both on and off the pitch, individuals can only do so much to win every game. Chelsea seemingly needed a different formation and tactics to break out of this slump and on Sunday, Tuchel delivered. This allowed some players to utilize their unique traits and others adapted to help the team, but in the end, everyone pulled their weight to ensure a good win over Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.

Although Hakim Ziyech was the star of the show, he was not the sole reason for the win. Chelsea attacked and defended as a cohesive unit throughout the 90 minutes. Add in the high work ethic and versatility of the squad and the Blues had the perfect formula for success. No fingers were pointed, not because the team won, but because everyone played their roles to perfection. Even Romelu Lukaku—who’s been the center of negative attention as of late for poor performances and immature comments—had a good game because everyone around him performed well.

In the end, when the entire team plays well, the entire team wins.