Chelsea are Europe’s most in-form club at the moment and have destroyed all those in their path like a juggernaut that doesn’t seem to be slowing down at any point of time.
The Blues delivered yet another lethal and ruthless performance as they did against Manchester United two weeks ago and ripped apart Everton at Stamford Bridge in a good old fashioned onslaught.
The game ended with a final score of 5-0 to the Blues, but in truth, it could have been 7 or 8.
Chelsea scored two quick goals in the 19th and 20th minute, with goals from Hazard and Marcos Alonso, followed by a Diego Costa goal right before half-time. The Blues resumed where they left off in the first half with another goal from Hazard and a goal by former Barcelona forward Pedro.
We look at 5 talking points from the game.
#1 Everton’s high intensity and tough tackling early on
Everton started the game with all 11 men behind the ball and fought for every ball. They were hard and reckless in the tackle and tried to ruffle Chelsea in the opening minutes. Everton’s Seamus Coleman perhaps typified their approach to the game with a rash challenge on Diego Costa in the early exchanges of the game.
However, referee Bob Madley let play continue as Costa limped off the pitch temporarily but would later shrug off his knock and continue playing.
Soon after, Yannick Bolasie’s tug on Azpilicueta, while chasing for the ball, went unnoticed until a late whistle. Chelsea had 68% possession in the opening 15 minutes and began to grow as the game progressed. Everton’s fiery start fizzled out slowly.
#2 Chelsea’s almost mechanical and impenetrable back three
Chelsea have worked out their roles at the back to perfection. Cesar Azpilicueta was the old fashioned blocker that attacked every loose ball, while Gary Cahill stayed tight on Lukaku and David Luiz remained free to orchestrate as the sweeper.
Any ball that was released by Everton as an attack would invariably find Cesar Azpilicueta, it seemed.
Gary Cahill did his job in nullifying Lukaku, while David Luiz swept up anything that trickled through the gaps and the Brazilian also went forward and built attacks.
Chelsea’s defence have conceded no goals in 5 games, which is an overwhelming change, considering that the same defence, bar David Luiz, conceded 22 goals in 11 games last season. Everton had their first noteworthy shot on goal in the 71st minute – a shut out by the trio who operated like a classic Italian back three.
A special mention for Cesar Azpilicueta or “Dave” as Chelsea fans call him – Chelsea’s best defender for the last 3 seasons and a player who can slot into any position with class and ease.
The back three have worked brilliantly so far, so much so that club captain John Terry can’t get a look in, even though he is back from injury.
#3 The 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 and inability of Premier League teams to cope with it
Whether it is called 3-4-3 at times or a 3-4-2-1, when the wingers tuck in, the system has dumbfounded Premier League sides who have faced it. Conte used a 3-5-2 for Juventus and the same for Italy at Euro 2016 in June.
When Chelsea defend, they have a free central defender in Luiz, and in a 5 man defence line i.e when Moses and Alonso fall back, or when at the other end of the pitch when the full backs overlap and there are 5 players running into the box.
A standard attack goes like this – Costa drags the central defenders through the middle while the space on the flank is an overload or a 2 v 1 almost always. Pep Guardiola is well known for adopting this kind of a strategy, which in football theory is called “Giochi di Posizione” in Italy. This is fundamental to Italian defending, in English this method is simply known as “Positional Play”.
It is in one part, about gaining numerical “superiority” or more 2 v 1’s and exploiting the space thus so. Everton fell pray to it once again as a ball from Luiz or Kante was delivered to the flanks. Either Alonso and Hazard on the left were against a single Everton right back or Moses and Pedro against a solitary left back. It happened against Hull, Leicester, Manchester United and Southampton. Every team has had to change to a back three to simply compete against them while even after they make the shif, Chelsea continue to dominate.
Against Everton, Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea’s second after a well-timed run into the box, and Victor Moses hit the post; both were top class. It is certain that teams will start to deploy three at the back from the start against Chelsea to simply match them man for man. How many teams in the world get their opposition formation changed every game just for that particular game?
Full credit goes to Antonio Conte and the famed ‘Il Metodo Conte’ or ‘The Conte Method’ which seems to be reaping dividends, not to mention his incessant touchline shouting. It is almost as if he conducts the grand show from the sidelines imbibing his energy to his players. Top stuff.
#4 Chelsea’s deadly front three of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro wreck havoc again
Diego Costa is in the form of his life. Eden Hazard has banished the ghosts of last season and Pedro is showing us why he was bought last season in the first place. Hazard, in particular, has been given the license to roam when the top 3 tuck in. His link up play with Costa has been nothing short of phenomenal.
The Belgian’s two goals on the night were of very high quality. First, his shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner after cutting in from the right and later a goal which was almost Lionel Messi-esque, which he had no right to score that one. He was hugging the right flank touchline, played a one-two with Pedro who back heeled it into his path, Hazard then ran with the ball at speed into the box, cut onto his left past the Everton defence and shot past Steklenberg before anyone could even react.
Diego Costa, on the other hand, continued his red-hot form after losing Lukaku to some very poor marking from a corner and Pedro added further insult to the Toffees, scoring after Hazard’s shot was saved. That made it 5.
#5 Chelsea’s midfield maestro’s N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic were flawless again
One minute he’s here, the other he’s there and everywhere. N’Golo Kante has been “the” buy of the season so far. He always has a 3 yard lead over anybody else on the pitch, and those fine margins make all the difference. He passed effortlessly and ran the show in the middle of the park.
He has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge with many comparing the Frenchman to former Chelsea legend Claude Makelele. Nemanja Matic also supported well with marauding runs and resolute positioning. Matic did all the work alone for Chelsea in their title-winning 2014/15 campaign and now he has N’Golo Kante as his midfield partner. The sheer amount of ground those two cover collectively is that of a three-man midfield.
They win the ball quicker than their opposition and can both tackle extremely well and are a formidable pair in the center of the park and deserve all the plaudits coming their way.
It was a scary and almost frightening performance by Chelsea, who delivered their post Halloween scares on the pitch to an Everton side that, to be fair, couldn’t do a thing. Chelsea have set the bar really high for the rest of the league to follow suit, especially with their last 5 performances and in particular this one.
