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One of the main motivating factors behind Chelsea’s £ 220 million summer spending spree was the lack of a killer instinct during Frank Lampard’s first season in charge. However, Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Tottenham now adds to a goalless draw at Manchester United and a 2-0 home loss to Liverpool in a failure to score against the traditional ‘Big Six’ in the Premier League this season.
Neither of those results is an isolated disaster. Liverpool’s defeat came in the second game of the season, too early for Lampard to fine-tune his starting lineup and while Manchester United fluctuates between the sublime and the ridiculous every week, a point at Old Trafford is a credible result.
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And the limit of Spurs’ aspirations here is probably best summed up by the fact that the visitors couldn’t get a chance of any description in the second half, the first time since December 2018 against the Wolves.
But rising expectations comes with such a huge financial investment and for all the offensive talent on display, Chelsea managed just three shots on goal and just one that really put Hugo Lloris to the test, a far-reaching effort from Mason Mount as Chelsea struggled more and more to play. Tottenham’s rigid defense. After all, Chelsea had two extra days to prepare for this game and was able to use all six summer transfers at one point or another here, plus Christian Pulisic made his first appearance since October 28 following persistent hamstring problems. .
Pulisic came in with 16 minutes remaining, Kai Havertz followed nine minutes later and Olivier Giroud replaced Tammy Abraham in the middle. The entire time, Lampard persisted in a 4-3-3 form that was gradually nullified by the Spurs, who palpably waned in ambition as the game progressed.
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Mourinho could be seen telling his players to slow down the game during the second half as his substitutions added more conservatism to his approach. Case and point, Gareth Bale, who many thought was acquired on loan from Real Madrid to win games of this magnitude, was left as a disabled substitute.
His almost ridiculous post-game claim that “we came here to win” was simply a continuation of the obstructive mischief that had happened before, as was the claim that the Spurs are not in the running for the title. When asked to recall an earlier metaphor he used in 2014 when he was in charge of Chelsea about what kind of horse his team was compared to the thoroughbreds competing for the Premier League, Mourinho said: “We are not even in the Chelsea need more from star signings to contend for title – Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results race so that we are not a horse. We are a pony. “
At least Chelsea had their designated winners on the field. The Spurs deserve credit for implementing Mourinho’s tactical plan so emphatically, displaying a determination not generally associated with Tottenham to secure a draw that takes them back to the top of the table. But while the Spurs shrewdly bought this summer with Mourinho also getting an obvious improvement in several individuals, perhaps most pertinently in Tanguy Ndombele, who was excellent in the first half here, there is still no reasonable expectation that Tottenham will win the title.
Four-goal Timo Werner is one of Chelsea’s high-priced attackers who has yet to reach top speed since arriving at Stamford Bridge this summer. Photo by Justin Tallis / PA Images via Getty Images
Liverpool and Manchester City remain the favorites, but Chelsea’s expenses combined with their positional proximity last season put Lampard under more immediate pressure to deliver. They should certainly produce a greater goal threat in these bigger games. Hakim Ziyech tried his luck from long range in the second minute with a direct shot at Lloris, but the Spurs goalkeeper was not tested again until Mount forced him to make an excellent save with nine minutes remaining.
Chelsea could still have won it. Joe Rodon, who made his full Premier League debut with Toby Alderweireld absent due to injury, started and ended with a shaky moment, targeting a weak header at Lloris in injury time that fell kindly to Giroud. The 34-year-old could not take advantage, he only threw a gentle direct shot at his French compatriot.
Havertz and Pulisic didn’t really have enough time to affect the game with both battling for match fitness, the former recently ending his period of self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. But Werner and Ziyech did.
The former RB Leipzig player thought he had opened the scoring in the 11th minute, picking up a pass from Mount in space down the left, cutting off with his right foot, and taking a superb shot off the post only to be properly flagged off the field. game. go on-road after that, posting the lowest pass completion rate of any Chelsea starter aside from Abraham.
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Perhaps Lampard was mindful of Mourinho’s default setup, making sure his players were not overly engaged for fear of being caught on the fast break, something that seemed possible early on when the Spurs threatened Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier to get close.
Mourinho certainly thought so. “The defensive opponent was very good,” said the Spurs coach.
“They didn’t take risks. They were solid, they didn’t project a lot of attacking players like they normally do and also because we have to do a little better.”
But still, in those tight moments, individual brilliance is required. That’s why Chelsea paid the money.
“It’s difficult to create against Tottenham when they defend in the lower-middle block,” Lampard said.
“The whole team is central, you have to surround them, you have to try to make crosses or take shots and it’s not easy to make sure you don’t allow the counter in the transition. So I thought that part of our game was great, I thought we did enough to win the game without getting the last part that would make us win.
“Sometimes you trust a little magic, something for you when you have so much dominance and it didn’t quite come.”
These are still training days in a hectic season with many important tests to come. But surely more is required of Chelsea’s expensive front line if they want to close the gap to the top.
Source: espn.co.uk
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