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Chelsea failed to protect their two-goal lead against Tottenham Hotspur in the Mind Series, finishing their pre-season with a 2-2 draw.
Two stunning goals from Hakim Ziyech had the Blues in the driver's seat at the 50th minute mark. But a fortuitous strike from Lucas Moura and a Steven Bergwijn goal - both of which were cheaply conceded by the hosts - led to a draw at the end of 90 minutes.
Chelsea were cruising in the first-half, with most of their first-team players such as Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and N'Golo Kante back in the fold. They were also rewarded with a couple of special goals for their endeavor and poise in the middle. Spurs, on the other hand, were looking for answers in what is to be the start of a rebuild under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
They did recover, capping off the chances Chelsea gifted them. On that note, we list the major talking points from the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
#1 Chelsea cruise to a comfortable first-half lead
Right from the get-go, Chelsea looked to threaten while going forward. They pinned Spurs back constantly and enjoyed one-way traffic as Ziyech flung a shot low and fast beyond Spurs' new recruit Pierluigi Gollini.
It was all Kante's work, however, after the midfielder sensed danger and won the ball back before laying a wonderful pass to Ziyech. The latter, not pressed by any of the Tottenham players, took his time to place the shot into the bottom corner.
Ziyech scored again in the second-half as well to give Chelsea some breathing space. But what was more concerning for Spurs was that the Moroccan always managed to find space to whip the ball with his wand of a left foot.
Marcos Alonso's header tested the Tottenham goalkeeper as well, and so did Timo Werner. The German, in fact, scored a smooth goal by rounding Gollini off, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
#2 Spurs' Alli and Skipp couldn't provide cover
Nuno, unlike himself, opted for a flat 4-3-3 formation against Chelsea. A slew of forays into their box from Chelsea must surely have upset the team's rhythm. While much of it was through excellent win-backs from the likes of Kante and Chelsea's centre-halves, it was more tactical if viewed under the microscope.
Chelsea administered space in those little pockets in front of the Tottenham back four, especially through Ziyech and Havertz. Werner proved too quick and sharp for Eric Dier and co., while the Chelsea midfielders had the leverage to pick their passes with time and space.
Alli and Skipp, two midfielders who may not have the best of tactical awareness defensively, left pores for Chelsea to exploit. The Blues did exactly that, playing at a high tempo and realizing they should have had more than just a solitary goal at the break.
#3 Game of two halves results in a draw
Thomas Tuchel made seven changes to his Chelsea side that appeared ready to take on Villarreal in a week's time at the UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea clearly looked disjointed and jaded as the second 45 wore on, especially after Ziyech's second goal. Just seven minutes after they doubled the lead, Tuchel's men lost the ball in a dangerous area to Lucas Moura.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger drove into the Chelsea box and scalped his slice of fortune with a deflected goal. It was pacy and direct on his end.
Then, out of absolutely nowhere and under little pressure, Malang Sarr presented the ball straight to the opposition. Steven Bergwijn drilled a low effort between Edouard Mendy's legs to level the scoreline. Nine out of ten times, the Chelsea custodian would have stopped that effort.
It was a game of two halves, but Chelsea look ready for the upcoming campaign in Tuchel's first full season in charge. With their English and Italian stars set to return in the coming days, it could only get better.
#4 Chelsea have their dream centre-halves at Cobham
Chelsea have been widely linked with Jules Kounde, who is their top priority centre-back option following the permanent departures of academy prospects Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi. Faustino Livramento has also secured a permanent move to Southampton.
However, Chelsea may have the best crop of central defenders at Cobham. Ethan Ampadu looked decent on the ball and was comfortable. Sarr may not have had the best game of his career, but did impress on occasion. Kurt Zouma was once again strong and timely with his enormous presence at the back.
Dujon Sterling's crunch tackles are being spoken about in detail amongst Chelsea fans. But one youngster who may have caught Tuchel's eye more than the others is Trevoh Chalobah.
The 22-year-old continues to get chances in pre-season and always steps up with neat performances. Chalobah was measured, calm and intelligent with his defending against Spurs, communicating well with the senior defenders in a back three.
Chalobah was also fantastic with his distribution and attacking during Chelsea's corners. He is one to watch out for should he remain at Stamford Bridge. Maybe the Blues should just trust one of their their own instead of splashing cash on Kounde.
#5 Is this the season Hakim Ziyech explodes?
Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin stated at half-time that any Chelsea star could have a huge season. It could be Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi or Kai Havertz.
We know that Chelsea have signed players with enviable quality and technical brilliance. Ziyech, who was the prince of Amsterdam at Ajax, came to Chelsea on the back of a serious injury in the summer of 2020. Speaking about his struggles last season, Ziyech said:
"Before I came I had been out for seven months mostly. I came here and started with injuries, so for me it was more that I was already behind everybody physically."
This summer, Ziyech has already scored two against Spurs and three against Peterborough in a behind-closed-doors fixture earlier this month. It finally looks like the Moroccan is ready to fire on all cylinders. He looks to have found his sharpness, rhythm, range of passing and the sweetness in his venomous strikes.
A far more mature winger than many others in the Chelsea squad in terms of age and experience, Ziyech could be the go-to man for Tuchel this term.
