Premier League
Spurs Dominance Bring Chelsea The Blues
Black And Blue Beginning
Today marked the first time since September Spurs firepower was at full capacity. Tottenham would finally enjoy the fruits of having Son, Dele Alli, Eriksen, and Kane all in the starting lineup. Unfortunately, for Chelsea it did not take long for them to witness what the Spurs front four are capable of creating. Eriksen was able to pick out Dele Alli with a beautiful free kick into the box that left Kepa with no chance. Chelsea would have little time to rest with the constant pressure drowning the blues back four. As a result, Harry Kane would join the party after a strike from 25 yards out. The captain had help from Luiz as he got out of the way of the strike fooling Kepa on the trajectory. Chelsea’s unbeaten streak would be the least of their worries with such a bad beginning.
More Of The Same
Chelsea’s second half began with dominant possession and an urgency that lacked in the opening act. A new half however, would still carry over some of the same problems. Sloppy play from Chelsea’s midfield and constant offsides calls on Morata would stall the blues progression. Chelsea’s momentum would come to a complete halt with the magic from Son. Son’s dazzling run from the halfway line leaving Jorginho in the dust scoring the third goal was the nail in the coffin. Luiz lackluster help defense was the epitome of Chelsea’s performance on today’s big match. Son’s 50th goal couldn’t come at a better time. The blues would grab a consolation goal from Giroud only to put a band-aid on this intense wound.
Dose Of Reality
Today was a shot of reality for Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea. Chelsea will need to take a look in the mirror and certain positions on their squad. The constant effort of playing N’Golo Kante in a more attacking role has not been a successful experiment. Rudiger and Luiz will need to reassess their communication in the center as well. The international break did not bring Chelsea any comfort in their journey for another premier league title. The blues, now in fourth, are seven points off the title leaders Manchester City. Chelsea will have to regroup next week against second to last place Fulham. Today’s dose of reality may be what Chelsea need in order to get back on track. Time will tell if this new-found pressure will burst their pipes or create the diamond at the end of the tunnel.
Photo credit to Dickson Dagogo via Flickr
