Three takeaways from Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Leicester City
Chelsea got back to their winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. It was a much-needed response after the shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Leeds United a week prior.
Remnants of that game had not disappeared entirely in this one, as Conor Gallagher was given his marching orders in the 28th minute for a simulation tackle on Harvey Barnes. It all seemed to be falling apart once again for Thomas Tuchel’s side, who were without their manager in the dugout. But a strong second-half response turned the tide in their favour.
A brace of goals from Raheem Sterling – his first for the club – ensured all three points for Chelsea. Barnes’ left-footed pistol strike in the 66th minute breathed life into the game but the Blues fought hard and rode their luck, at times.
Thomas Tuchel said it was time for Sterling to step up during his post-match interview, “It was necessary because we need him to score. It’s what he does, and he will score. I could feel he was not happy because he wants to score more and have more chances.”
Chelsea are slowly but surely heading into the right direction, though they’re far from a polished product quite yet. On that note, here are three takeaways from Chelsea’s vital win.
#1 Summer signings are contributing for Chelsea
Sterling has been a complete live wire for the Blues since joining from Manchester City. He’s got plenty of experience and is only 27. A thing or two to pick up from his game for his teammates is the constant movement off the ball inside the box, waiting to pounce on a chance. He’s already had two goals chalked off for offside this season, but it underlines the threat he possesses. Opposing defenders will know full well, Sterling is always, always on the move.
A counter-attacking threat, Sterling has often turned defense into attacks for Chelsea with his energy and devastating pace. He’s more than just a winger, as displayed during the second goal where he snuck behind the centre-halves to tuck home a tap-in.
Marc Cucurella, meanwhile, has kept one of the best fullbacks in England on the bench. His ability to find passes infield and zip them to move the attack into a more central approach has been the hallmark.
Not to mention, he’s one of the quickest thinkers on the pitch. He played a variety of one-touch passes, most notably of which led to Sterling almost providing Chelsea a cushion but was denied by the woodwork.
He sprints endlessly and occupies highly advanced positions on the pitch that allow him to maraud forward and stem attacks high up the field. The £63m fee they paid for him looks like a bargain at the moment.
The Spaniard has already assisted twice, one from a corner that led to Kalidou Koulibaly’s thunderous volley against Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Napoli centre-half has slotted in comfortably at Stamford Bridge, and although the red card hints at lessons that are to be learnt, Koulibaly has played enough games to knock it off and pick up the pace of the Premier League.
#2 Is Edouard Mendy short of confidence?
Edouard Mendy, a stalwart at the back for the Blues has not looked convincing in goal. He made a few smart stops that should do his confidence a world of good, but such is the nature of the profession for goalkeepers, one error could cost the game.
And so, it did, as Mendy was caught by Brenden Aaronson against Leeds. Chelsea, from there on, never appeared to be able to find their way back.
Mendy has replaced Kepa over the last few seasons due to his shot-stopping prowess, but also his command inside the box. This is something that has largely gone missing in the Senegalese’s game this season.
Mendy was at fault when Leicester had a goal rightly disallowed for a foul on him, but he should have been much better in getting his gloves on the ball.
Against Tottenham, he was caught on his heels when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg let one fly from distance. Neither was it the most ferocious of strikes, nor was Mendy’s vision blocked by any of his defenders.
The foundations that he’s built his Chelsea career on haven’t been on display for the 30-year-old in the early goings thus far.
The fighting spirit shown at Everton in the season’s opener covered his performance in glory when it wasn’t all that convincing. He wouldn’t come off his line when Thiago Silva asked him to, in an attack that set Demarai Gray one-versus-one against the centre-back. From corners, he came out with half-hearted attempts of punching the ball, eventually leaving it in play, inside the six-yard box with Everton shirts lingering.
#3 Is it time for a four-at-the-back for Chelsea?
Tuchel has been playing a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 for the better part of his Chelsea career as head coach. He’s mentioned the style of play is more suited to the players he has at his disposal.
But when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was struggling to create or match the overload from Leeds United and Conor Gallagher was hardly able to influence the game from a deep-lying central midfield position, there were cries of change in the structure.
They came out all guns blazing with a 4-3-2-1 in possession and quickly morphing to a 3-3-3-1 of sorts, depending on where the attack rose from, when not on the ball.
Tuchel said, after the 2-1 win over the weekend, “We played today in a more aggressive shape but then we were one man down, so we needed him to step up, which he did. The goals were crucial today because they gave us the belief.”
With an overload of midfielders that are expressive, creative, and aggressive pressers, it could be the time to change formation for Chelsea.
Jorginho simply excelled playing as a lone defensive midfielder, as if he knew exactly where to be always. His partners, further forward, formed a front four or five at times, creating larger spaces for the wingbacks to measure their passes. A sequence of mesmerising, patient movement from the forwards led to what looked like a very simple goal for Sterling off the Reece James cross.
Of course, things could change with the imminent arrival of Wesley Fofana. But for now, Chelsea may have found a winning combination.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Антон Зайцев. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.