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Chelsea produced a dramatic comeback to tie 3-3 at West Brom. Adam Bate was at the Hawthorns to see it, but was left wondering how Frank Lampard will address the defensive woes that left Chelsea three goals behind in the first place …
Last Updated: 09/26/20 10:51 pm
Frank Lampard under scrutiny as Chelsea’s defensive woes continue
As The Liquidator yelled at the Hawthorns, the Chelsea players should have felt right at home. Instead, it was their familiar daytime failures that were on display when they fell three goals to West Brom on Saturday night. Frank Lampard’s problems at the rear show no signs of abating and threaten to undermine Chelsea’s hopes of progress.
That they managed to salvage a point with a spectacular comeback in the second half that culminated in Tammy Abraham’s injury time tie will cheer many. The team spirit talk and a group of players willing to fight for the cause is valid. The fact that all three goals were scored by academy graduates highlights the depth of the team and might resonate with some.
But this was still only one point against the newly promoted West Brom. It was the home team that was on deck at the end lamenting that they had lost two points. That was because Chelsea had parted ways in the first half, their hopes of victory already almost extinguished. The Baggies had done their homework. The book had not turned out to be a particularly difficult read.
2:59 FREE TO SEE: Highlights of West Brom’s 3-3 draw with Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga may not have been on the field, down, and Edouard Mendy will surely take his post next weekend. But it was clear from this performance that the problems at Chelsea stem from what is happening in front of the goal posts and not just from the identity of the poor wretch who is expected to come between them.
Willy Caballero let in the three shots he faced. Never a good look. But his defenders did not make his job easier. The first goal came from a poor clearance by Marcos Alonso, the second the result of a regrettable touch from Thiago Silva, the veteran Brazilian international who had been handed the Chelsea captaincy on his Premier League debut.
This is the man who is supposed to solidify this defense. Instead, it gave Callum Robinson a clear path through it. Two less, just like that. A defense that folded at the slightest hint of pressure. A frightened bottom line into a stupor at the mere whisper of the word rhythm.
Thiago Silva struggled in his Premier League debut for Chelsea against West Brom
Silva has the experience of not repeating the kind of mistake West Brom so gratefully swallowed. But according to this evidence, even in the best of cases, the job requirement is not for a wise old man, but for someone who can run. Even at the age of 36, the Brazilian seems faster than the Chelsea defenders who were on either side of him at the Hawthorns.
Andreas Christensen may have over a decade on his senior partner in the back, but he doesn’t have a yard on it. As for Alonso, who performed desperately poorly, his game’s weaknesses have long been apparent to Chelsea supporters. Here, he was exposed time and again for the willful execution of Matheus Pereira.
Tottenham vs Chelsea
September 29, 2020, 7:00 pm
To live 
At one point late in the first half, Pereira stepped between Alonso and Mateo Kovacic, while the pair briefly stared at each other in disbelief. Darnell Furlong also had a run at left back once it became free play for all. The weak link had been identified. It was no surprise that Lampard did not allow Alonso to reappear in the second half.
The fear is that staffing is only part of the problem at Chelsea. The system leaves them vulnerable. Alonso’s starting position was so high that he almost operated as a winger in a four behind. Pereira was happy to bet on not tracking him down, glad he could do a lot more damage in the final third than Alonso could hope to do at the other end.
2:55 Lampard was left frustrated at the Hawthorns despite his team’s return
James was leaving similar spaces on the other flank and it is tempting to think that if West Brom had had the confidence to continue attacking after the break, especially when Lampard made the bankruptcy by introducing Olivier Giroud for Thiago Silva, then the home team could have scored. . the fourth goal that surely would have ended any aspiration for a comeback.
Having already lost their first two games of the Premier League season, Slaven Bilic’s side lacked the faith to pull it off. Other sides will. And even if they don’t, they will still imagine their chances of keeping things tight and exploiting another family weakness. West Brom’s third goal came from a corner, a flaw on Lampard’s side that has not been addressed.
The statistics have been well publicized. Chelsea have now conceded 11 Premier League goals since taking over from Lampard. That’s more than any team still in the competition, and this despite the fact that their team has actually faced fewer corners than all teams to play in the Premier League in both seasons in that time except the Manchester City.
Chelsea receive one goal for every 14 corners they face. It’s a weakness and a sign of a weak side, one that has conceded more away goals than any other team in the Premier League since Lampard was named. It’s a damning record and needs to change, but will any of the big-name summer transfers really be able to do that?
Lampard was right to speak of attack patterns that take time to establish. Timo Werner, still looking for his first goal after three Premier League appearances, can only get better. The firepower is there in Chelsea and the return of Christian Pulisic will only add to it. That can cover up a host of sins, but success in the Premier League requires something closer to perfection.
Lampard knows this, but does he know how to fix it? Antonio Rudiger was arguably Chelsea’s best defender, but he is out of the team and apparently ready to leave the club. Christensen and Thiago Silva don’t seem to complement each other. It’s a huge request to expect newcomer Ben Chilwell to fill in these left-back defensive shortcomings.
This is a team that has a lot of work to do but little time to do it. Next week brings two more London derbies against Tottenham and Crystal Palace. Money has brought options and expectations. Only Lampard can find the solutions. You will understand that you have to do it quickly or you will risk your own Chelsea rebuilding project in the face of liquidation.
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