Negatives
1. Sloppy first half and questionable lineup
When the starting XI was announced, questions were raised. Last Sunday against Brentford, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto, and Nicolas Jackson were rested. Yet against Legia Warsaw, they remained on the bench. Jadon Sancho, after two disappointing matches, started again. The same went for Christopher Nkunku despite his struggles against Brentford.
The first half unfolded in a way that validated those concerns. Chelsea looked lethargic and lacked purpose. The wingers struggled to get the ball into the box, the midfield couldn’t progress play, and there was excessive passing between the defenders.
It was a continuation of a recurring theme for Chelsea in recent months, lots of sideways and backward passing between defenders, wingers, and midfielders without any real penetration into the box. While the second half brought a significant improvement and three goals, the first half served as a reminder of how much work still lies ahead for this Chelsea side.