How Ben Chilwell angered Thiago Silva as Graham Potter faces the same Chelsea issue as Thomas Tuchel
After taking over as the head coach of Chelsea, Graham Potter made his debut as a head coach by defeating Crystal Palace. Goals from Conor ...
After taking over as the head coach of Chelsea, Graham Potter made his debut as a head coach by defeating Crystal Palace. Goals from Conor Gallagher and Pierre-Merick Aubamey secured the win. To provide an incredible gain in betting via 22Bet mobile, gamblers should absorb a lot of tips given by skilled ones.
Potter hits Tuchel’s problem
With a lot of time to prepare for the game, Potter and the staff decided to play a more attacking style of football against Crystal Palace. Instead of a 3-5-2 formation, they adopted a 4-1-4-3.
The formation featured a back four composed of Ben Chillwell, Thiago Silva, and Wesley Fofana, while a midfield trio of Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, and Mason Mount was utilized. On the other hand, it utilized the attacking trio of Pierre-Merick Aubameyang, Kai Havertz, and Raheem Sterling.
Chelsea struggled to adapt to the new formation during the match against Crystal Palace. The visitors fell behind after an impressive finish from Odsonne Edouard gave the visitors a lead. Despite this, Graham Potter's side was still able to create chances through some neat passes.
Despite the positive aspects of the formation, it was not enough for Chelsea to overcome the issues they encountered against the well-organized Crystal Palace defense. One of the main factors that prevented them from getting the full three points was their inability to capitalize on their possession.
Potter mainly utilized a back three formation for tactical reasons. One of the main reasons he decided to do so was to ensure that Thiago, who is now 38 years of age, does not have to play in wide defensive areas anymore. He also wanted to utilize Jorginho in a more compact midfield.
Despite his lack of mobility, Jorginho was still able to make a huge impact during his two appearances for Italy and Chelsea. Despite this, Crystal Palace managed to cause the Blues problems during the first half. One of the main reasons they were able to do this was the presence of Eberechi Eze.
It was no surprise then that Potter decided to make a change at halftime by replacing Jorginho with the dynamic play of Ruben-Cheek. His substitution allowed the Blues to gain the upper hand and take control of the match. Unfortunately, they were not able to capitalize on all of their chances until the late goal by Conor Gallagher.
Although the formation provided some positive aspects, it was not enough to overcome the issues that Chelsea encountered against the Crystal Palace defense. According to Potter, his side must be careful with their substitutions as they need to be consistent.
Despite the positive aspects of the formation, it was not enough for Chelsea to come over the issues they encountered against the well-organized Crystal Palace defense. The Blues will also have a hard time maintaining their lineup consistency due to the number of matches they have upcoming.
Individual errors remain
Throughout the first few weeks of the season, it has been observed that opposition forwards were able to capitalize on the errors made by the Chelsea defenders. For instance, in the first match of Potter's reign against Salzburg, Thiago was sent off after he failed to clear a pass.
Another example of how the opposition can capitalize on the mistakes made by the Chelsea defenders was during the season-opening match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park. During the first goal, the ball was given away cheaply by Fofana and allowed Edouard to finish at the back post.
Aside from Fofana, the other Chelsea defenders made costly errors during the match. For instance, Ben Chilwell was forced to cover for a corner after he was able to catch the ball at the edge of the penalty area. Thiago Silva's reaction after he was forced to concede the set piece made the crowd very angry.
The ball hit the ground after going through the hands of Jordon Ayew, causing Silva to get a yellow card from referee Chris Kavanagh.
The incident was reviewed using the use of a Video Assistant Referee. After the referee initially ruled Silva's yellow card as yellow, the decision was changed to a red one. Potter praised the officials for making the right call.
Silva tried to go past Jordon Ayew but was caught out by the Palace forward's pressure. After the ball hit the ground, Silva was shown a yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh for handling it.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was able to check if the red card given to Silva should have been issued. Although it was initially ruled a yellow card, it was eventually decided that it should be a red one. According to Potter, the decision was a fortunate call for the Blues.