Chelsea 3-0 Luton Town: 4 positives and just one negative

As things stand, Wesley Fofana, Marcus Bettinelli, Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, Armando Broja, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah and Mykhailo Mudruk are all unavailable for selection due to injuries. All the above-mentioned names are all first team players. It is good that the Blues do not need to add another name to that list.

NEGATIVES

Thiago Silva in the backline

Before you close the tab in anger, it should be noted that Silva has been great for Chelsea since his debut. In fact, according to Sofascore, he was so good last season that he won 74% of his ground duels, 73% of his aerials duels and about 79% of the tackles he contested last season, and completed and impressive 56% of his long balls. This season, a lot of that has remained the same, with the Brazil legend winning an impressive 78% of his aerial duels and 80% of his long balls this season. However, there are some key metrics for centerbacks, especially those who are supposed to be playing in a high line. Ground duels and tackles.

0/1 ground duels won tonight means that Silva has won 17% of the ground duels he has attempted this season and 19% of the tackles he has attempted. The effect of this was shown in the West Ham game, where Silva was involved in key defensive situations on several occasions.

Todd Boehly doesn’t have to use Silva until he literally has nothing left. The earlier the Blue side of London starts phasing out Silva from the team, the better. It’s clear that Pochettino wants his centerbacks to push up, this means all three centerbacks need to be able to recover if they’re caught out; Silva, simply put, cannot.