Overview
A first win against a “big six” opponent, and a reasonably comfortable win at that against Jose Mourinho’s timid Tottenham. The performance was controlled and considered, rather than clinical, but Chelsea’s superiority extended from the touchline to most positions across the pitch.
Similar to Wolves and Burnley, Tottenham showed virtually no desire to disrupt Chelsea’s possession play. Tuchel’s team, for the most part, moved the ball pretty well without creating many clear cut openings. Eric Dier’s lapse in concentration created a penalty and there were two decent second-half transition situations for Werner and Mount as the game opened up. Outside of the three chances, which contributed roughly two-thirds of the team’s xG, there weren’t too many clear-cut opportunities. As the team becomes more familiar with Tuchel’s methods, our open-play offence against deeper blocks should improve.
More impressive was the team’s structure without the ball. While Tottenham showed little attacking intent, it is not often that a Mourinho team gets beaten this often in duels and second-balls in a big game. This was made possible by the compactness of the new 3-4-3 system, which ensured Chelsea were able to sustain possession.
Match statistics
Statistics from fbref and understat.
Individual ratings
Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel continued with the same 3-4-3 system that was deployed against Wolves and Burnley and was proven right to do so. Tottenham struggled to cope with Chelsea’s ball movement, especially in the first half, and could have conceded more than just one goal were it not for some imprecision and bad timing in the final third from Chelsea’s attackers.
Even while under pressure defensively late in the game, Chelsea conceded just one chance, Vinicius’ header, and that is praiseworthy considering the team’s recent frailties. The team’s improvement in compactness, especially in midfield, has perhaps been Tuchel’s biggest positive thus far.
RATING: 7.5
Édouard Mendy
Made one nice stop from Lamela, the first time he has had to exert himself under Tuchel. Took too many risks on the ball for this writer’s liking, but based on post-match comments, it was a tactic designed to find spaces beyond Tottenham’s press.
RATING: 6
Reece James
Stuffed up the stat-sheet without ever looking fully comfortable. Received passes way too square at times, thereby eliminating progressive passing options. When he did receive the ball in promising situations, his conservative nature let him down. His link with Hudson-Odoi in particular fell off after the first 20-25 minutes, thereby starving Chelsea’s biggest creative threat of the ball in dangerous locations.
Stats of note
7 passes into penalty box - 1st among Chelsea players
6 shot-creating actions - 1st
3 key passes - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (2 attempted) - 2nd
10 loose-ball recoveries - 2nd
6 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
6 touches in penalty box - Joint 3rd
RATING: 6.5
Cesar Azpilicueta
Did a solid job of moving the ball from defence to midfield. Held his own defensively too, although he was not tested much in that regard. In a lot of ways, he is back to his quietly efficient performances on the right of the back-3 from the Conte era.
Stats of note
14 passes into final third - 1st
9 progressive carries - 1st
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 2nd
6 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
RATING: 7
Thiago Silva
Had a great game until he got injured, snuffing out Tottenham’s attacks with ease. His low rating is more down to the fact he only played 36 minutes rather than any issues with his performance — he was quite comfortably the best defender on the pitch during his stay.
Stats of note
8 progressive passes - 1st
RATING: 6.5
Antonio Rüdiger
Had a low-key, unfussy game and was involved in very few eventful moments — always a good thing for centre backs. His ball progression could have been better.
Stats of note
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
4 aerial duels won (5 contested) - 3rd
RATING: 7
Marcos Alonso
Did his job effectively as the left wing-back, especially from a defensive viewpoint. However, his usual attacking effectiveness was missing.
Stats of note
7 aerial duels (9 contested) - 1st
12 loose-ball recoveries - 1st
3 tackles - 1st
6 clearances - Joint 1st
22 pressures - Joint 3rd
RATING: 6.5
Mateo Kovačić
While his performance on the ball was not as eye-catching as in the previous two matches, his discipline off the ball was a big reason behind Chelsea’s success. His decision-making was a bit iffy, especially in passes aimed towards the final third.
Stats of note
6 carries into final third - 1st
2 interceptions - Joint 1st
6 progressive passes - Joint 2nd
2 passes into penalty area - Joint 2nd
7 progressive carries - 3rd
RATING: 7
Jorginho
Similar to Kovacic, Jorginho had a terrific display defensively in terms of maintaining discipline and keeping shape. On top of that, his ability to receive passes from the defence and relieve the pressure was very important in sustaining our play. Playing in front of three defenders ensures he does not have to drop between the centre backs to receive the ball and makes his play a lot more productive.
Stats of note
1 goal
5 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
2 key passes - 3rd
8 loose-ball recoveries - 3rd
22 pressures - Joint 3rd
RATING: 7.5
Callum Hudson-Odoi
After two penetrative displays, Hudson-Odoi had a more subdued outing while playing different roles — as a more traditional wide forward. He did not receive the ball early enough in dangerous areas and was double-teamed at times. These two factors meant he rarely had the chance to find the separation he usually does and that greatly limited his attacking output.
Stats of note
3 shots - Joint 2nd
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 2nd
6 touches in penalty box - Joint 3rd
RATING: 6
Mason Mount
Had a below-par (by his very high standards) first half, wherein he was active without making the right decisions on the ball. After half-time, he returned to his usually high levels and was a major factor in finding transition opportunities to evade Tottenham’s pressure. Created good chances for Werner and for himself, neither of which were taken. His ability to find space and receive the ball has been a staple of Tuchel’s play and has created multiple situations where we have outnumbered opponents in attack.
Stats of note
5 key passes - 1st
28 pressures - 1st
2 interceptions - Joint 1st
8 touches in penalty box - 2nd
8 progressive carries - 2nd
3 carries into final third - 2nd
3 shots - Joint 2nd
5 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
RATING: 7.5
Timo Werner
For the second consecutive game, Werner got a truckload of touches in the box and got off a healthy number of shots, albeit of low quality. His defensive work was very commendable too. While nowhere close to satisfying the lofty expectations placed on him, the past two games represent a clear improvement over his previous performances.
Will this improvement eventually translate into goals?
Stats of note
4 shots - 1st
12 touches in the penalty box - 1st
3 carries into penalty box - 1st
26 pressures - 2nd
5 shot-creating actions - Joint 2nd
2 tackles - Joint 2nd
7 progressive carries - 3rd
RATING: 6.5
Substitutes
Andreas Christensen (36th minute) — Showed no nerves while filling in for Silva. Defended the box well but never got into his stride on the ball. Regardless, this was a positive performance in testing circumstances.
Stats of note
6 clearances - Joint 1st
5 aerial duels won (6 competed) - 2nd
RATING: 6.5
Christian Pulisic (65th minute) — Went on one mazy run but did not do much otherwise. Decision-making could have been a lot better.
N’Golo Kanté (74th minute) — Looked rusty off the bench and did not always conform to the team’s defensive structure. Earned a pretty silly yellow card too.