Three lessons learnt in Everton 1-0 Chelsea: Tactical blunders
By Hugo Amaya
3. Tactical changes were made too late
Chelsea was never in control of the game; therefore, a change of formations and tactics should have been made well before or even at halftime. Everton seemed to have all the stamina in the world to press Chelsea and force an error throughout the 90-minute affair. Instead of adjusting tactically, Tuchel substituted Jorginho for Matteo Kovacic at halftime.
Furthermore, he waited until the last 15 minutes—even after being a goal down—to change the shape. It was evident from the Blues’ opening 45 minutes that Frank Lampard planned perfectly to counter his old club. Thus, a formational change or a different approach should have been implemented far sooner than they were.
Tuchel’s eventual changes and tweaks were correct in the end, but they were too late to have any true impact. Chelsea was never going to score with the entire Everton team inside the box, particularly with the players on the field. However, if those changes were made earlier in the match, the outcome might have been different as fresh legs could’ve worked to test the waters and find a way through before it was too late. The Blues had no space to shoot, no time to put in crosses—or players to cross to, for that matter—and they were forced to pass back to the defense more often than not.
If the necessary changes would have been made before halftime, Chelsea would have stood a chance. Before the goal, Everton was open and relatively disorganized. They relied on tackles and a sporadic high press to win the ball and form any sort of attack. With a more organized midfield, Chelsea could have controlled the match and it could have had more time to open the opposition’s defense. Instead, the players were in a race against the clock to get a goal at the end. The clock was against the Blues as producing a miracle looked impossible. Thus, the result was inevitable.
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What are some of the lessons you learnt in the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!