Chelsea at Leeds United: Four things to look for at Elland Road
By Bryan Martin
2. Exploiting Leeds United via pressing
Now that the emotions are out of the way, let’s talk tactics for a bit.
The Blues have an opportunity in this match to exploit Leeds through their aggressive pressing. Typically, when you hear commentary on Tuchel’s tactical system, you hear mostly about the slow build-up and possession style of play. What is overlooked—mostly as a result of having players unsuited for the system—is the desire and potential for a high-pressing system that can create mismatches on the counterattack. We saw this last week against Tottenham with Chelsea’s displaying the ability to know when to press and when to sit back. Both of which were key aspects of a successful game-plan for the Blues.
Leeds United offers a great opportunity to leverage that approach once more.
The Whites are a rather dangerous team when it comes to creating shots. Through the opening matches, they are tied for third in the league, producing 4.5 shots on target per 90 minutes played. Leeds converts 33 percent of those shots for goals. It is also incredibly dangerous from set pieces as it currently leads the league in shots created from dead balls under Jessie Marsch.
To combat the efficacy of their opponent in attack, the Blues can exploit Leeds’ biggest weakness: its passing. Despite being pressed less than all but two teams, the Whites are among the least efficient passing sides in the league, converting just 75 percent of passes. A strategic, unpredictable press coming from a front three could confuse Marsch’s side enough to cause errant passes, which will ultimately allow Chelsea to capitalize with some high-quality opportunities.
Will the Blues be able to finally press the way the system has intended for them? Can they exploit opponent errors by maximizing goal opportunities during counter-attacking mismatches, or will Leeds force set pieces that will put high levels of pressure on a Chelsea team that has struggled in that area? Time will tell, but this will likely be a contributing factor to the end result of this match.