Tottenham 3 Chelsea 4: tactical analysis

Chelsea’s impressive start to life under Enzo Maresca continued with this thrilling comeback win at Tottenham. Trailing by two goals within 11 minutes, the visitors were excellent value for the three points that put them clear in second place in the Premier League. For Tottenham, by contrast, it was a third league game without a win, as they slipped to 11th in the table.

When it came to slipping, Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella made a costly start to the game. The Spain international had to change his boots after slipping in the build up to both Spurs goals. Crucially for the visitors, though, they hit back quickly thanks to a Jadon Sancho strike from outside the box.

Two poor challenges from Tottenham then gave Cole Palmer chances from the spot – first to equalise, then to add a fourth goal, the latter with an ice-cool Panenka. In between, Enzo Fernández had lashed home to put Chelsea ahead, while Son Heung-min’s finish in added time was too little, too late for Ange Postecoglou’s team.

How the managers saw it

“Both penalties were poor on our behalf,” said Postecoglou. “They're self-inflicted and unnecessary challenges. We've given them two goals away for no reason and given ourselves a mountain to climb, which proved too hard.”

“There was no problem first half,” said Maresca. “The only thing was watching the way they were pressing. First half we had Cole Palmer on one side, and Enzo Fernandez on the other. Second half we had Palmer on one side, and Cucurella on the other, and we changed something in behind. It was for this reason, it worked quite well and we won the game.”

Tottenham’s high regains

Postecoglou’s team started the game with an incredible pressing intensity, immediately defending well into Chelsea’s half. In wide areas, Spurs’ winger and full-back pairings jumped forward with purpose, on to their direct opponents (below). The home side then placed immediate pressure on Chelsea’s initial double-pivot of Roméo Lavia and Fernández.

Although Palmer was finding significant space between the opposition midfield and back line, Chelsea weren’t able to find their talisman, due to Tottenham’s strong duelling and high regains. They began the game by limiting Chelsea’s deeper build up, which gave them an immediate attacking platform. Indeed, after regains from Cucurella, Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski converted, respectively, to give Spurs a two-goal lead.

With Tottenham’s press disrupting the visitors’ build, Chelsea right-back Moisés Caicedo started to invert into midfield, giving his team a brief numerical advantage in that part of the pitch. Tottenham’s wingers responded by narrowing and dropping back, no longer putting pressure on Chelsea’s back line as often. Although Tottenham’s midfield trio maintained their pressing intensity, they needed support from one of their centre-backs – stepping in to midfield – to combat Chelsea’s box. This was initially Cristian Romero (below), until he went off injured in the 15th minute, to be replaced by Radu Dragusin. And as the game progressed, Chelsea began to find solutions to Tottenham’s pressing.

Chelsea’s improved midfield-movements

Palmer’s movements to wide right helped to pull his marker away, freeing central spaces for Chelsea’s pivots to receive and play forward (below). Similar movements from Fernández towards the left had the same effect, as Spurs no longer pushed a centre-back into midfield to mark player-for-player. The home team’s wingers now had to work back, meaning they were no longer able to press as high, as often. Caicedo and Lavia began to connect more, not least in the move that fed the ball into Sancho (below), which culminated in his superb bending-effort halving the deficit.

In response, Tottenham attempted to place earlier pressure on Chelsea’s double pivots; their number eights jumping early on to Caicedo and Lavia. But Palmer and Fernández were making much wider movements, which created passing lanes that Spurs’ single-pivot Yves Bissouma simply could not cover (below). Jackson then stretched beyond, stopping a Spurs’ centre-back from jumping into midfield.

Intelligent forward passes from Lavia, in particular, prompted Spurs’ midfield to continue jumping aggressively, but they had little time to react and readjust underneath the ball. As a result, Chelsea began to dominate possession and create well-worked attacks.

A few poor passes from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez did give Tottenham some opportunities for high regains as the first-half played out. On the whole, though, the widening movements from Palmer and Fernández in Chelsea’s 3-2-4-1 gave them a strong platform to attack and feed the direct runs of their front line. 

Maresca adjusting the left side

Malo Gusto replaced Lavia at half-time, slotting in at right-back, with Caicedo now a permanent double-pivot alongside Fernández. Left-back Cucurella advanced high to support inside Sancho, with Palmer initially central as a 10, working off Jackson. But when Palmer shifted to the right, additional space was created for Cucurella and Sancho to work dangerous crosses and passes into the penalty area. Runs from one of Chelsea’s pivots gave the visitors an extra attacking edge, as Spurs pulled almost everybody back to defend. In the 61st minute, Caicedo burst forward to support inside of Cucurella and Sancho, and was brought down for the penalty equaliser. 

At 2-2, Cucurella continued operating as Chelsea’s left number-10, with Palmer now permanently in the right-inside channel. Spurs were inconsistent in their marking and defending of the central spaces, particularly on Cucurella. Whenever Dragusin moved out of the back-line to cover Cucurella, Chelsea attacked 1v1 and played forward with purpose, having regular runners beyond and numbers well into Tottenham’s half (below). When Cucurella moved deeper, Kulusevski picked him up, which allowed Fernández to link play forward. Chelsea became dominant, and it was Fernández who ran forward through the left inside-channel to half-volley past Forster and put his team in front.

From there, Maresca’s team tightened the screw, with a two-goal cushion coming courtesy of their second penalty. After the game, the Italian head coach downplayed his side’s title chances, but for now results suggest they are one of the teams with a genuine chance of finishing top in May.

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