Chelsea faced West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Monday night in a crucial fixture as the Blues looked to bounce back after a one-sided loss to Manchester City last weekend. With that defeat pushing them out of the top four, Chelsea had an opportunity to get right back in as City had humbly lost 5-1 to Arsenal on Sunday night.
A victory against Graham Potter, the former Chelsea manager, would push Enzo Maresca's side two points clear of Manchester City and Newcastle. In this article, The Pride of London will dissect the tactical talking points of the match while analyzing the broader performance. Let’s dive in.
Possession & Out-of-Possession Intent
Chelsea controlled the majority of possession throughout the game, averaging 64% in the first half and 72% in the second. The reason for this was clear from the outset: Chelsea’s out-of-possession intent.
Rather than sitting off the opposition in a 4-4-2 mid-block or a 5-4-1 low-block, as they did against City last Saturday, the Blues were eager to transition from their shape into a high press right from the first whistle. This strategy prevented West Ham from settling into their in-possession shape, which resembled a 3-4-3, with the wingers tucking in while the wingbacks provided the width.
Rather than trying to sit off the opposition in a 4-4-2 mid-block or 5-4-1 low-block, as they did against City last Saturday, Chelsea were keen on transitioning from their shape to a high press from the get-go.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) February 4, 2025
So, they prevent West Ham from having much time to play from their… pic.twitter.com/ldYXybHc3S
The pressing trigger could be one of many. A common example involved the wingback passing it to the wide centre-back, which would alert the winger to press the wide centre-back while shadowing the wingback. Meanwhile, other players would engage in man-to-man marking across the pitch. Though the wingback was technically free, the nearby Chelsea fullback was always ready to pounce on any attempted pass to him.
In Chelsea's backline, communication between the centre-backs and Moisés Caicedo was key to ensuring that all three of West Ham's narrow attackers were tracked.
Furthermore, I'd like to add that I appreciate the willingness of the player to commit to this OOP strategy. When Chelsea transitioned to a m2m press, the players carried out their responsibilities really well. We saw that exemplified with Colwill tracking Kudus all the way.…
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) February 4, 2025
It’s important to note Chelsea’s commitment to the out-of-possession strategy. When the Blues transitioned to a man-to-man press, the players executed their responsibilities really well. This was demonstrated by Levi Colwill tracking Mohammed Kudus all the way.