After the 1-1 draw away from home with Brighton on Tuesday, the 18th, the coach Thomas Tuchel, consecrated by FIFA in the award “The Best” as the best coach of the last season, informed that he would give the players two days off from Chelsea, claiming that they reached exhaustion due to the strong sequence of games at this point in the English season.
The other solution for the classic with Tottenham at Stamford Bridge was to rotate the squad a little, although keeping the base of the last match. With Marcos Alonso and Kanté on the bench and the team armed in 4-1-4-1, again undoing the system with three defenders and more mobility in the front.
The Blues resumed their high intensity, better guarding Kepa’s goal with the last line more planted: Azpilicueta and Sarr on the sides and Rudiger and Thiago Silva on the inside. Jorginho at the front protecting the defense and qualifying the ball out.
In front, Lukaku in the reference making the wall and interesting moves along the flanks: Ziyech and Mount taking turns on the right, one as a midfielder, the other on the wing. On the opposite side, Hudson-Odoi attacked wide open, giving breadth and depth, with the support of Kovacic, who played more advanced.
A “new” Chelsea with a lot of game volume: 67% possession, 88% passing effectiveness, 15 shots, seven on target. In the nets with Ziyech, in a shot with effect that surprised Lloris. In the throw, Mount and even Azpilicueta attacked the right runner to drag the marking and the southpaw to gain space to cut inside and finish.
Then a pattern from Tuchel’s Chelsea in the Premier League: offensive set pieces, defender goal. This time, Thiago Silva, scoring the 15th goal of a player from the rear in the championship.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham lost their league unbeaten run, which was nine matches. He had avoided the spectacular 3-2 comeback against Leicester in stoppage time. Two goals from Bergwijn, who ended up winning Lucas Moura’s place alongside Harry Kane in the 4-4-2 that also had four more fixed points behind and Doherty and Sessegnon on the sides.
A team lacking and very plastered that could not resist a Chelsea that returned to play a rotation above the opponent. Beating the rival for the fourth time in a row in the season. Showing that the rest was fundamental, as well as Tuchel’s changes that can work in the Club World Cup. Competition that, now, enters the horizon of the European champion.
(Stats: SofaScore)
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