Chelsea’s trip to Tottenham is terrible timing…as Brentford the latest to see low-block tactic pay off against Blues

BY PAUL LAGAN
paul@slpmedia.co.uk

Just when Chelsea fans thought things can’t get any worse, up pops a trip to top-of-the-table Tottenham on Monday night.

Having lost once again at home, at the weekend 2-0, this time to cuddly,  friendly grandad-type neighbours Brentford, the boys from SW6 head north to face their most hated neighbours, and it could not be at a worse time.

Spurs are riding high this season.

The departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich silenced the disruptive noise surrounding his future and gave head coach Ange Postecoglou a clean slate to work his particular brand of Australian magic.

Whatever it is that he is sprinkling on the players’ breakfast cereal, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino would like a bulk order supply – it’s needed.

At the start of the Argentinian’s reign in the summer  – before a ball was kicked, or in Chelsea’s case miskicked in anger, he stated that oft-used expression that it was all about ‘winning’.

His tune has now understandably changed to incorporate reasons why Chelsea are not winning, particularly at home.

But languishing in 11th place in the Premier League suggests winning anywhere is a problem. The Blues have taken three points only three times out of 10 league matches. Their single home win was against mighty Luton Town, who have been in the bottom three all season.

The Blues have drawn against Arsenal and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, and that’s something Pochettino is latching on to as he faces Spurs.

He tends to be of the opinion that they are playing better against better sides. But why should this be?

The reason partly is that the Blues are becoming a counter-attacking outfit.

They have undoubted pace up front – Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson and the still injured but lively Christoper Nkunku. Deivid Washington could give Usain Bolt a run for his money too.

As a consequence of this skill set, Pochettino is trying to maximise it – put pressure on defences with quick breaks. That works in theory when the opposition tends to be more expansive and attack-minded, which is why the Blues got a point apiece off Arsenal and the Scousers.

It’s why they got maximum points at Burnley and Fulham as these sides feel the need to attack more in front of their own fans – to their cost. But when the so-called lesser side rocks up at the Bridge they, to use the current vogue vernacular, use a low block. Basically they don’t bother to attack if they don’t need to.

They retreat to their final third, defend wide across the pitch and close down any spaces the quick wide men in blue might try to exploit.

This leaves the counter-attacking Blues with a problem. They have all the time in the world on the ball, because the opposition don’t really want it. Even opposition attackers retreat when Chelsea have a goal kick.

The ball is then played among themselves to the halfway line. The constant switching of the ball from left to right and back again is not a consequence of Chelsea dominating  the game but their lack of ability to break the ‘low block’
Chelsea need to spend more time on the training ground countering these defensive measures by the lesser lights when they come to the Bridge.

Chelsea face Aston Villa at the Bescot Stadium tomorrow as the Women’s Super League returns from the international break.