With a somewhat underwhelming performance, Chelsea took a step towards Champions League next year (if they really want it now) with a win on Saturday against West Ham United. West Ham were contending with them, kicking around the 4 and 5 spots in the league. Saturday’s game which saw Chelsea pull out a 1-0 win gave them much needed cushion between them and Liverpool for a top 4 finish that matters again considering last week where everything almost went to shit.
Chelsea put out one of their strongest line-ups in this game, with Andreas Christensen for Reece James as really the only downgrade. The lineup reflected the importance of this game as Chelsea face a Premier League gauntlet of Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester and Aston Villa to finish out the season (Fulham is technically the next game on the schedule, but I’m not worried about that one). I try not to dote too much on Christian Pulisic, being American myself and all, but he’s really coming into form in the back part of this season, which may prove even more paramount in the Champions League. Last year, he caught fire early in the season after a weird freeze out from Frank Lampard, only to be injured. COVID actually provided him a respite as he recovered from an ab injury (how the fuck do you injure that) and the rest is history as he led Chelsea to a top 4 finish despite a young roster and not for his hamstring (and stupid fucking Granit Xhaka) maybe an FA cup trophy. It’s fine, because I’m totally cool that Lampard is gone; he didn’t do his reps like when John Elway ran that arena league team for ten years before taking over the Broncos; bottom line, he wasn’t ready to manage a club like Chelsea. Pulisic’s been humming for about a month and half now, solidifying playing time and mostly starts at this point, proving to be Chelsea most influential, if not prolific, offensive creator. Where the isolation and flare were his calling cards during Project Restart, he’s working in more crosses and intelligent offensive flow into a system with Tuchel that allows him (and everyone else) more freedom with deeper defined responsibilities for every player. Since Tuchel took over, his best feature as a coach has been his ability to ask players to do well what they can, rather than ramming them into a convoluted system. Pulisic fought to get into a groove into the new system but at this point, his offensive prowess and comfort in the “system” are creating results not only for himself but for others as well. He only got a hockey assist against West Ham, by my count, about his 8th such assist of the season (can’t understand how these aren’t assists in soccer). It’s not that every game is Porto where he gets fouled as much Messi did one time, it’s that defenses so clearly view him the top threat and it creates so much more potential for the players around him that I know Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount notice and as evidenced exploit. I always question why he doesn’t stick on the wing more because his runs through the middle looking to be on the end of a header aren’t exactly given his height (he’s like 5’7”), however they draw attention as he does whenever he has the ball. He’s clearly the most dangerous player, as he has been all season regardless of form and since Timo and Kai can’t yet handle the physicality of the Premier League, nor can they manage to stay onside, he’s going to again be the biggest factor against Real Madrid and hopefully beyond that along with making a much familiar push to keeping Chelsea in Champions League contention as the season concludes.
This game itself featured continued hangover from the Super League fallout, not as starkly as the game against Brighton midweek in which the players from both teams looked mentally defeated and it’s likely due to the stakes. I can’t for the life of me figure out why Tuchel refuses to put Olivier Giroud in more given how much he scores or why Tammy Abraham is on an island given his penchant for the same. I know both are likely to depart after this season, especially given the Erling Haaland sweepstakes that Chelsea are sure to participate in, but all the more reason to use these guys. Too much is invested in Kai and Timo to give up after one season and it’s not like they’re horrific, just not what Chelsea thought they would be right away and I still fucking contend that Kai was awesome until he got COVID. IT’S COVID, that’s why Kai sucked for so long, it’s so clear. Timo’s just getting used to the pace and physicality, but give him more than one season to figure it out. Either way, they don’t score like Giroud and Abraham and Chelsea still struggle to score goals even as they barely concede them. It’s not going to be a viable strategy against Real Madrid, who are humming when they feel like it (though injuries on their side will be a big factor tomorrow). When I make notes on the game, the one I make most often is how Timo gets bullied off the ball or can’t bring down a cross or control a long pass because he expects to have more time than is actually afforded. It’s just a more physical league in England, nothing more than that. He could fix it if he has the mettle, but given the stakes of this season, it makes far more sense to see some Giroud/Tammy action instead of getting Timo and Kai into form.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Jorginho providing his patented long ball, poor man #8 play in this game, even if the seeds never bore fruit. Chelsea are better when he can properly play his game and is allowed to create, though it doesn’t mesh well with Mateo Kovacic, who’s tearing it up under Tuchel. Kante, Mount and whoever plays center back largely cover his defensive responsibilities most of the time, so I’ve been disappointed to see him take a back seat on offense, instead opting for the safer passes, no doubt attributable to his creaky status with the club, having survived now two system changes from the one he was brought in for. It’s a testament to his game that he’s been able to stay on this long and against West Ham he left fly his delicious long aerial passes that make him such a dangerous presence when he decides or is tasked with creating offense. Going back to the strikers though, they have to be on-fucking-sides so with Timo in there, I’m sure Jorge gets frustrated that line master Giroud isn’t on the end of these or Tammy can’t provide hold up play to distribute to the wings from his central position. I said earlier in the season that Jorginho would be essential to a successful season given Kante’s injury history and the gruel of this season of games and I still believe that, especially as Billy Gilmour has failed to break into the first team and provide depth. Jorginho when he really wants to provide the perfect needle point in popping the balloon of backlines, something we’ll need desperately in the next few weeks as the season concludes.
Tuchel’s crowning achievement might be his rotational skills with the backline, where Lampard started the same guys every single game, Tuchel uses the Gregg Popovic approach, using all of his players and getting them involved (well except Emerson). No example is more relevant than the backline, which remained static under Lampard has proven vital under Tuchel as the goals against record is outstanding. Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta were going to be playing elsewhere next season if Lampard stayed, but instead provide vital depth and starting talent that again highlights what they do best. Lampard asked Azpicueta to essentially play the role Reece James does now, at the age of 32, something not exactly feasible. To Azpi’s credit, he never really complained, but under Tuchel’s wing back approach, Azpilcueta’s knowledge and technical skill can be paired with James’ sheer athletic dominance, a symbiotic relationship blossomed by Tuchel’s arrival. Along with Azpilicueta, Christensen, a true Kepa casualty has flourished under Tuchel, though Thiago Silva is better, Christensen spells Silva when injured and against West Ham felt himself well with strong plays forward as he develops his own long ball as Kurt Zouma and Rudiger do so well. It’s what originally attracted me to Chelsea’s playing style, those long balls from defenders that the best teams employ where defense directly creates offense. The best teams all do it and under Lampard we only got the occasional long ball from Zouma that made the viewer feel like he was going to have to apologize for them after the game. Christensen has benefited greatly from the new freedom to develop this part of his game, as he’s already a tireless worker on the defensive end. With Rudiger and occasionally Zouma now (Zouma still struggles playing out of the back to the degree Tuchel demands), Christensen has the dudes around him to really grow in this area and provide more depth to a defensive line that lacks a superstar but makes up for it in numbers.
It’s big week for Chelsea as they face off in the first semifinal leg against Real Madrid, then have to take care of business against Fulham. How they finish these next couple of weeks will be monumental in their prospects for signing next season and hopefully letting Tuchel continue what he’s started this season. I’d really love Abramovitch to exercise some patience since he only has one Champion’s League at this point to show for his childlike disdain for any managerial imperfection and build the team with some depth signings, maybe Haaland to continue the trajectory for this team with incredible young players who can certainly provide trophies in the next couple of years assuming they don’t have a re-worked system every year,
Bo's Gamut 