It finally happened for the first time in months; Chelsea played like shit and unfortunately it came against a waning Everton team that they can’t lose to if they really have title hopes anywhere this year. On Saturday, the Blues looked out of sorts and as Frank Lampard said after the game, it’s been really tough, given the fixture schedule, to keep everyone healthy and humming as they had earlier in the season. Hopefully with a Champions League break for a month or so this team can get some rotation in with players getting healthier.
I don’t believe that Olivier Giroud and Kai Havertz have been on the field as starters, let alone gotten any sort of consistent minutes together and boy was it evident on Saturday. Havertz looked out of sorts the past few games since his return from a bout with COVID-19 and Saturday was no different. Given his early season form creating a burgeoning field control partnership with N’Golo Kante, it’s expected that growing pains and the grueling nature of the season could cause him eventual fitness discomfort. That Everton game seemed a culmination of his poor form, with sloppy passes, middling possession that lacked his early season creativity and general discomfort playing with Giroud. To be fair to Kai, he was also playing a wandering right-wing role, highly out of position to where he normally operates. He’s not remotely in an ideal situation given position and health, however he’s supposedly skilled enough to be a rangy player so hopefully he gets back on his feet soon.
Our long awaited Christian Pulisic sighting hopes were dashed as he got left out of the lineup entirely, apparently feeling some slight discomfort in his creamy hamstring this week. It was disappointing given that he finally seemed healthy, getting a goal last weekend. Lampard suggested that he’d be fine for the game on Tuesday, while also bitching out the league for not allowing five subs as his players can barely keep up, even with a team as deep as it is. The absurd pace of soccer this season has many teams looking ragged so I’m not surprised it’s caught up with Chelsea. I can’t honestly say I have any idea what will happen in the Champions League this year because any team with a reasonable chance at winning has looked like absolute shit this year. Still shocked that Lucien Favre got fired after a 5-1 loss at Stuttgart, given that it’s probably not even close to his worst loss at Dortmund and it was during a pandemic where his team plays every two days or so. Chelsea are no different as Giroud came back to earth, just lacking that bit of world class precision to finish that separates him from other 34 year old strikers, most of whom can barely make it up and down the pitch (except the ones named Messi and Ronaldo). Giroud looked old against Everton who matched his keen senses with youth and vigor, in full supply as Everton doesn’t have to play in Europe this year. Just like Bayern Munich getting spanked by Hoffenheim or Barcelona’s embarrassing loss to Cadiz (who are still ahead of them in La Liga), Liverpool’s dismantling by Aston Villa, Chelsea was bound for something like this and if you look at positively, I think Everton is probably better than all those teams that slayed those giants.
The story earlier this season from Havertz about how much harder the Premier League was than the Bundesliga gained a lot of traction from the press and is honestly probably true since the entire Bundesliga seems to feed other leagues. Interestingly enough, Havertz might not be the only new German having a tough time with the Premier League’s physicality. That other German, Timo Werner had much more experience than Havertz coming into this season even at the still young age of 24. Just like seemingly everyone else on the team, Werner’s run of inconsistent play and lack of finishing touch, previously a trademark, culminated in this game, a shitshow for all involved. Werner found his footing a few games into the season, even as he played out of position on the left side to spell Pulisic and somehow support Tammy Abraham in the central role, so again, he’s playing out of position. The problem is that Timo isn’t as young as half these other guys. Hell Mason Mount has played at times like the most exciting player in England at times and he’s 21, three years younger than Timo. Reece James, another 21 year old academy product like Mount, played his ass off and probably was the best player for Chelsea, actually asserting himself and finally connecting well with Mateo Kovacic on that right side to create chances. With last year’s team, Mount and James were thrust into the spotlight, maybe too early, but they’ve blossomed into really strong players, ones that their national team have taken notice of and England has no fucking shortage of right backs or rangy midfielders. All to say, I get that Werner is in a new situation with new teammates, but I think he has the yips. He just can’t finish easy balls despite a barrage of chances, largely created by his own ingenuity as a playmaker, something he’s had to take on with this younger team. Maybe he’s Russell Wilson right now, trying to do too much, finally being given the keys to a McLaren and trying to drive too fast, either way, he needs to get his head right and either assert himself as an alpha striker, seeing Tammy Abraham as competition rather than a weird pairing that works against bad teams, or embrace more of playmaking role on that left side, since Pulisic seems to be perpetually injured. I watched Werner a fair bit at Leipzig and so did the rest of the world so we all know what he’s capable of, especially as chased the world best current player Robert Lewandowski for the Bundesliga Golden Boot last year, so like all this shit, it can chalked up to playing out of position, fatigue and the general exhaustion of 2020, it’s just hard watching him fail to finish so many goals that he would have in the past.
Positive note from this game. Reece James largely made Richarlisson his bitch in this game, constantly battling the physical, chippy-ass winger, really asking Lampard whether he’s earned a place in the Champions League where Cesar Azpilicueta has largely filled that right back role. Frank’s always protected James, like he has Mount out of some homegrown paternal instinct, but James really showed out, unlike the rest of his team against Everton, a strong club that’s shone this year. Richarlisson isn’t Sadio Mane, but he’s a promising youngish player who’s established himself as first choice at a big club and James firmly shut down that side of the field. He also made strides working with Kovacic, his partner on that side for a time now that Hakim Ziyech is out for a bit. James also made strides running through the middle a couple of times, creating and attacking in that area, something Lampard experimented with in short spurts this year given his James’ pure athleticism along with his attacking abilities. I think the aim is to eventually put him in positions to get shots on goal to meld with his absolutely elite crossing ability. The English battle between him and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the national team spot as Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker age will be fascinating. I’m sure Lampard’s tracking Alexander-Arnold’s trajectory with James, who is a better defender and athlete than Alexander-Arnold, but lacks Trent’s vision and needs a little more space to get off great crosses. He’s getting better though and in this game, where the team struggled, James held up his end of things. Towards the beginning of the Project Restart, Chelsea had a game against Leicester in the FA Cup quarter finals where Mount, James and the young Billy Gilmour were subbed off at halftime because they literally looked out of their league. That was only seven months ago and now James looks at times like one of the better right backs in the world. It was a welcome positive on Saturday.
The last thing really to say about this game is how off Ben Chilwell looked and has these past few games. I know it’s a cliche of this piece at this point, but it’s clear fatigue is setting in. After looking like a key to unlocking this offense early in the season, Chilwell has well…chilled. Sorry, I had to. He’s still been an essential cog in this stout backline, however injuries have hampered him and on Saturday, I saw his first outright bad game and it wasn’t just ugly. Alex Iwobi, Everton’s right winger, routinely made Chilwell look foolish with his pace and physicality, something I always worry about Chilwell’s frame. Ben Chilwell and I have just about the same body type and I’m not a professional athlete so that worry is very real. It’s not the first time recently that Chiwell’s struggled, but it might be more of an indicator of the lack of depth on that side of the field that Chelsea didn’t address in the offseason. I just can’t understand why Marcos Alonso and Emerson were not sold back in September. It’s likely they will be in January which will help. Alonso has been unplayable at times, along with Emerson, both relics of the Sarri era, offensively minded left backs with absolutely no defensive skills. Chilwell brought improved offensive prowess and a calmer, more controlled possession approach to the position. He’s fulfilled all of those expectations, but his downright defensive grit like Reece James on the other side has really been lacking in recent weeks. Given his skills with the ball at his feet along with spatial awareness, he’s not often in positions like he was Saturday, barrelling down the wing trying to make a physical tackle. He’s got to get to a more serviceable place with those types of contests because plenty of teams can pressure his side. I’m fucking terrified of Adama Traore on Tuesday knowing Chilwell can be muscled off the ball by that stallion of a man. Chilwell might hold up against the pace driven wingers like Mo Salah or Riyad Mahrez, but someone like Traore might fucking run him over; let’s just say I won’t be shocked if Traore starts on Tuesday. Chilwell like this rest of this team is allowed to have a bad game; the problem arises because fitness and depth are being challenged and in that situation, the weaknesses of this team are at least becoming visible to their opponents.
Bo's Gamut 