Chelsea
Defeat to Tottenham shows why Sarri must give Christensen a chance
Chelsea’s defeat to Tottenham came at the right time of the season as it will definitely serve as an eye-opener to Sarri, who could be thinking his players are good enough to challenge City for the Premier League glory.
Chelsea’s dip in form began during their Europa League fixture against BATE which they managed a 1-0 victory.
During the encounter, the Blues defence was in total shambles as they struggled to get the ball of their half in most part of the night.
The midfield was completely dominated by their opponents, who were so unlucky not to put three goals past Arriizabalaga.
In recent matches, especially against Everton, the Blues were easily caged by their opponents.
The mission/tactics are simple, man-mark Jorginho closely, you’ve taken away Chelsea’s threat completely.
This was what worked out for Tottenham in Saturday’s clash as Dele Alli didn’t give the Italian any breathing space throughout the game.
The England international was almost a guardian angel to Jorginho as he didn’t allow any ball get through to the former Napoli midfielder.
Statistically, the Jorginho completed only 43 passes –his worst record since his switch to Stamford Bridge –throughout the encounter.
As much as we want to admit the game was won at the midfield, Chelsea defender David Luiz should be blamed for two goals conceded by the Blues.
The Brazilian centre-back was reinstalled into the starting lineup by Sarri prior to the start of the campaign, while, young and agile centre-back Andreas Christensen was dropped to the bench.
Though the Blues haven’t conceded many goals in the League, the Brazilian hasn’t been in his best.
The 12-game unbeaten run served as a shield covering up his blushes as pundits, fans and analysts prefer to commend the team for their record rather than speaking on each player’s performance.
Tottenham’s victory revealed the obvious and bitter truth that the Brazilian has passed his prime.
Harry Kane’s goal could have been prevented if Luiz was ready and willing to sacrifice himself for the team.
A very young and determined defender would do everything to block Kane’s shot, even if it means lying on the pitch.
The 31-year-old was equally at fault for the third goal of the game which was scored by a lively and pacy Son Heung Min.
Luiz was easily tricked by the Korean international before unleashing a thunderous strike that went straight into the net.
Luiz didn’t perform up to the level Sarri has ever wanted from his defenders, hence, there is a call for Christensen’s return.
It’s obvious the Denmark international isn’t too different from Luiz in his display so far this season, however, Christensen shares great understanding with Rudiger at the heart of defence which is an advantage to the team.
His youthfulness is another reason why Sarri needs to bring him back into the team as soon as possible.
He is full of energy and strength and could have done better against Harry Kane on Saturday.
Sarri might have his own philosophy or team but it isn’t a crime to push some players to the bench due to uninspiring form.
Sarri might need to consider Christensen in his next couple of fixtures as this will pass a strong message to Luiz that his place is insecure.
