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#3 Sevilla’s struggle for creativity
The likes of Lucas Ocampos, Oliver Torres and Munir El Haddadi did not start for Sevilla, and their absence was felt as the team struggled to create openings against Chelsea.
This was a Chelsea team that did not have its first team defenders nor the presence of someone like Kante in midfield for large parts of the game, so they were there for the taking.
Most of Sevilla’s chances came from set-pieces as they never really tested Edouard Mendy in the Chelsea goal. Compared to Chelsea’s 14 attempts, Sevilla mustered 17, but a whopping nine of them came from set-pieces, while Chelsea relied just twice on the deadball situations to create openings. That’s a telling stat, and one Lopetegui will want to take a look at.
#2 Kai Havertz puts in a solid display
In what was his first start for Chelsea since late October, Kai Havertz impressed with a solid display. In his absence due to Covid19, Hakim Ziyech set the stage on fire and was the in-form attacker for Chelsea. So much so that Havertz was almost a forgotten man.
The German is yet to really settle and needs more time, but last night's display will do him a world of good as he played a hand in Chelsea’s opener and did well off the ball.
Lampard has placed a lot of faith on Mason Mount because of his tenacity and off the ball work, and that is something Havertz will need to match to evolve as a player in the English top flight.
In Seville, he managed to make the second most tackles (three) after Cesar Azpilicueta, and that stat will perhaps make Lampard happier than his goal contribution. From an attacking sense, he completed two dribbles, the joint most in the Chelsea team.
#5 A promising display by the Chelsea defence
Chelsea’s season started off with all sorts of injury problems and they just couldn’t stop conceding. A few months later, even their changed team can put no foot wrong.
Even without Kante protecting the changed centre-back pairing of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, Mendy had a largely quite game in the Chelsea goal as Sevilla struggled to test the Blues.
Chelsea have conceded just once in their five games in the Champions League, and that is an excellent showing for a side that were deemed to have a soft underbelly by many fans and pundits. Lampard’s side are becoming a more complete unit with each passing game.
(All stats taken from Whoscored)
