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When Maurizio Sarri was appointed the manager of Chelsea this summer, there was excitement at Stamford Bridge. The previous campaign under Antonio Conte was a failure for a team like Chelsea.
He had failed to lead them to the Champions League, and had also caused a toxic atmosphere within the dressing room. Stars like Hazard, Willian, and Luiz were ready to quit the club, but with the appointment of Sarri, they chose to give it another try.
The hiring of Sarri was anything but smooth. Napoli was not keen to let him go, but in the end, not only did Chelsea get their manager, but they also got a brilliant playmaker in Jorginho. Together Sarri and Jorginho helped bring in the Italian manager's vision for the Stamford Bridge outfit.
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And it worked wonderfully well. Chelsea looked a completely different side to the ones from the past, giving all the importance to the possession of the ball and high pressing. Sarriball swept across Stamford Bridge and England, with Jorginho at the middle of it.
Hazard and the rest of the team were given orders for a more attacking football under Sarri, and they flourished. The Belgian especially found his old self, finding the net 7 times already this season. Sarri had led an unbeaten Chelsea across the first 12 matches until Saturday.
Saturday's big match was certainly the London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. With Arsenal fading in the last few seasons, and Tottenham's rise in the same period, these two are currently the biggest clubs in London.
While many had thought this would be a close contest, the end result was a wake-up call to Sarri and anyone who thought Chelsea were serious title contenders this season.
Throughout the match, Tottenham outplayed Chelsea. Sarriball was systematically taken apart by Pochettino's Spurs. Hazard was limited and safely locked up by the Spurs' defense, and Morata was once again ineffective, but Spurs knew they had to stop one man to dismantle Chelsea, and that was Jorginho.
The Italian midfielder could not assert his control over the match, and that was telling. Even though Chelsea did have 61 percent of the ball, they had fewer shots on goal.
But the writing was on the wall for Sarri before this match. They had played out a 0-0 draw against Everton before the international break, and were not at their best against BATE in the Europa League.
Chelsea again had most of the ball, but they did not create much upfront, and that was the case again on Saturday. The only difference being that their opponents were more clinical than their previous two.
Sarri will need to have a long and hard look at his front line, and find a solution fast. Hazard seems to be the one player who can find the net at the moment, and that is not a good sign for Chelsea, as both Morata and Giroud have been in poor form in front of goal.
To be fair to Sarri, both of them were recruits from the Conte era, but they are the only forwards he has at his disposal. There were reports Sarri wanted Higuain, but the Argentine has gone to AC Milan, and there is a very low chance of him coming to Stamford Bridge this winter.
If Morata and Giroud continue like this, Sarri may have to look into the market to find a more potent striker.
While it is easy to be critical of Chelsea's performance, this is also their first defeat this season. Many players in the squad had been out representing their countries during the international break, and that might have caused fatigue. The Chelsea defense was also in shambles, but they had been solid this season.
However, Sarri should be wary of this defeat. This may be his first, but it is nonetheless a demoralising one. Winning against the big teams in the Premier League is important for a team to not only win the league, but also to stay in contention for the Champions League spot.
Chelsea is in fourth position now after Spurs leapfrogged them. They will hold on to that spot this weekend, but a win for Arsenal on Sunday means they cut the gap to just one point.
Sarri had only managed in the Serie A, where the title race was usually against Juventus, but this league is different. The Premier League is known to have multiple clubs vying for the title each season, and Sarri is managing one of those big clubs.
Sarri may not win the title this season, but he needs to make sure performances like these do not happen in the future, because unlike Serie A, the Premier League does not afford second chances.
Welcome to the Premier League, Mr. Sarri.
