It's rare for a manager to make a tactical substitution immediately after half-time but that's exactly what Erik ten Hag did on Saturday evening at Stamford Bridge. The electronic board was raised in the 52nd minute because Ten Hag had simply seen enough.
Jadon Sancho's number was raised and he was replaced by Fred, which meant Bruno Fernandes moved to the left wing. Ten Hag was so unhappy with Sancho's performance that he decided a midfielder would be able to provide more quality in his position.
Sancho has been awful for weeks and it was an overhit pass in the second half that was the catalyst for Ten Hag to hook him earlier than expected, with the Dutchman swiftly turning to the bench to instruct Fred to warm up. Ten Hag has not been afraid to make big decisions during his premiership and hauling a player off just minutes after half-time was a statement of his authority.
