As usual, it was a dramatic state of affairs in a heated London Derby between Chelsea and Tottenham. The Blues were by far the better side, dominating the tempo of the play, pressing Spurs and creating more chances throughout the match. In the end though, the best team doesn’t always win, especially when the referee closes his eyes while watching VAR. Nevertheless, despite Anthony Taylor’s many gifts to Spurs, Chelsea played a fantastic game of football and the club may have found long-term solutions to a few of its problems.
Here are three lessons we learnt in the 2-2 draw in west London:
1. Raheem Sterling is already a better striker than Romelu Lukaku
In one corner, there stands a striker with experience in both the Premier League and Serie A, measuring 6-foot-3 and weighting 227 pounds. It’s the mighty Romelu Lukaku. In the other, a winger half his size who has already done more in two game than Lukaku throughout an entire season: Raheem Sterling. While this heavyweight bout may seem to favor the former, it is actually the latter who wins out in the end.
Sterling did almost everything right against Tottenham, thus proving this point. The only thing missing from was a goal, but he made up for that with an assist.
Sterling played as a perfect “false nine” role (let’s be honest, he played everywhere along the front line, as Tuchel intends) in the London Derby. The English attacker was dynamic and he blended well with the likes of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount up top. He played wide when needed and congested the center of the attack as required, as well. But, even more impressively, he played with his back toward goal and held defenders back on numerous occasions. Now, these seem like standard requirements of someone in his role: Sterling excelled in all of them. This allowed for a fluent interplay inside the box, and therefore, chances were created for the Blues.
Another important attribute of Sterling’s is his ability to press Spurs’ defense. Tottenham left a lot of space open between the defense and the midfield against Chelsea. This was the perfect opportunity to press and force mistakes. In which case, Sterling did, in conjunction with the other attackers and wingbacks. His presence was massive both on and off the ball. Moving forward, this has to be Sterling’s position. Suffice it to say, as well, Lukaku won’t be missed by fans.
2. Chelsea’s new strengths: Pressing and pressure
Chelsea performed extremely well in all areas of the pitch. Overall, the Blues did not let Spurs advance higher up the field or even play their intended brand of football on the day. When they lost the ball, they waited for the right time to press and did so with relentlessness. Spectators were treated to a vintage Thomas Tuchel team performance on Sunday.
The players’ movements were well organized and intended to expose Spurs’ weaknesses throughout the entirety of the 90 minutes. By setting up this way, Chelsea forced mistakes out of the opposition, and in one instance, it turned into a goal. In the past, Tuchel has tried to implement these tactics, but with the players at his disposal, it was near impossible. Now, with a full squad full of important additions, the Blues can play just like the coach wants them to regularly.
Defensively, Chelsea denied Spurs any time on the ball at all. The team pressured whomever was in possession at the time by surrounding them with two or three players, usually from the midfield pivot. These tactics are so difficult to implement because they demand a lot of energy from players, and it leaves other areas of the pitch exposed, so the unit has to be disciplined. However, if this aggressive style works, it tends to pay off. In this case, the Blues’ players were decisive in their tackles and careful enough when surrounding the opposition. In turn, Chelsea properly dominated possession of the ball and the overall game too.
It is clear what Tuchel wants from this team, and now he can make it work. This Chelsea squad is versatile and disciplined. Therefore, allowing for a dynamic press and intense pressure when off the ball. The Blues no longer have to sit in their own half to wait for the ball. Rather, the team can proactively retrieve it and therefore, create more goalscoring opportunities. If the squad continues to implement this system throughout the year, it will be a fruitful season for Chelsea.
3. The Ruben Loftus-Cheek revival
Taking all of the tactics mentioned above into account, one player was able to take advantage of the system and consequently, produce a revitalizing performance in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful. At first, seeing Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a wingback on the teamsheet was worrisome. A natural central midfielder playing in a vital position for both the attack and the defense will do that to an individual, but as the game went on, he proved he could get the job done.
The Englishman was in complete control the entire time both in and out of possession, as well as in central midfield or down the right flank. This was mainly because Spurs did not pose a threat on the wings and because Chelsea was able to provoke mistakes out of his opponents. This allowed Loftus-Cheek to use his physical prowess to retrieve the ball, make difficult tackles and provide support in the attack with his penetrative runs.
This performance could be the comeback everyone expected from Loftus-Cheek since he returned from his serious injury a couple of years ago. Although he may not always play in this position moving forward—as tactical plans always change—he can be useful to Tuchel. Loftus-Cheek can play in the midfield and now as a wide defender, giving him an edge over those players whose positions are set in stone. If he stays healthy, there is no reason why he cannot succeed this season as a deputy to Reece James as a right wingback and a rotational midfielder.
Although these were all positives one can take from the game, Chelsea only earned one point. Despite that rather unfair reality, it was a great performance from the team against a well-organized Tottenham side under Conte. The Blues earned this all with a referee who chose to look the other way. Nevertheless, it is safe to say, Chelsea has a bright future ahead of it.
What are three of the lessons you learnt in the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!