A dramatic London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham saw both teams come away with a share of the spoils. However, it’s fair to say that it was the visitors who’d have felt the more fortunate to have done so.
Thomas Tuchel got the better of Italian counterpart Antonio Conte and his side dominated the game for large periods. The fact Chelsea could not hold on to the win - plus the controversial circumstances in which they conceded both goals in the 2-2 draw - would have been a big contributor to the angry confrontation Tuchel had with Conte at full-time.
Yet once that anger subsided, Tuchel would have been satisfied that he won the tactical battle. In doing so, he laid down a marker that suggests it’s his Chelsea side who are going to be best equipped to trouble Liverpool and Manchester City this season, despite Spurs’ hefty summer spending spree.
So, how did Chelsea enjoy so much success against their London rivals? Well, ahead of the clash, Tuchel made some notable changes from the team that failed to impress during the 1-0 victory at Everton last weekend.
Marc Cucurella and Ruben Loftus-Cheek came in as wing-backs, with Reece James moved into the back three at the expense of Cesar Azpilicueta, who was relegated to the bench. Those moves were crucial to Chelsea's dominance and control for much of the opening hour of the game. Out on the left, Cucurella brought the pace and energy which was lacking through Ben Chilwell one week earlier.
On the other flank, Loftus-Cheek was given instructions to push high up the pitch, which would see Chelsea adopt a shape that better resembled a 4-3-3 rather than 3-5-2. This proved crucial in allowing the Blues to create vital overloads in wide areas.
The same also saw Chelsea enjoy plenty of success in playing over the top of Spurs’ high press. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy attempted seven long passes in Sunday’s game - most of which were towards Loftus-Cheek - while against Everton last week he only played two.
Coming up against a compact Spurs team means space inside their half was always going to be at a premium. However, Loftus-Cheek playing high and wide would stretch the Tottenham backline, creating more openings through the middle for the likes of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount to get on the ball.
Chelsea’s shape also meant that, in possession, James could often play more like a traditional wing-back himself, rather than a centre-back. He was pushing high up the pitch against Tottenham, making overlapping runs and allowing Loftus-Cheek to come more centrally to get on the ball in the valuable gaps that opened up through the middle.
It was, of course, from one of those overlapping runs that James scored Chelsea's crucial second goal of the game. By that time, the England international had been shifted to the wing-back role, with Azpilicueta brought on at right centre-back.
Tuchel’s adjustments were crucial in terms of helping Chelsea build with the ball, but the same were also key in helping them nullify Tottenham without it.
When Spurs had possession, Chelsea dropped into a back five, with one of the back three, often James, given license to break out of the defence and close down either Harry Kane or Son Heung-min, who were trying to drop deep to receive passes. While the Chelsea man aggressively pressed the player receiving a pass, Spurs’ other forward was often left isolated and marked by two Chelsea centre-backs.
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Spurs’ struggles in playing through Chelsea were highlighted by the fact they registered their fewest number of successful first-half passes (135) in the Premier League since, coincidently, their last visit to Stamford Bridge back in January.
Conte was able to finally get to grips with the issues his team faced, helped by the introduction of Richarlison midway through the second half. The Brazilian's preference to make runs beyond the defence stretched Chelsea's duo of Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly, in turn opening gaps for the likes of Kane and Son to get on the ball and start to influence play in the attacking third.
Ultimately, Spurs were able to come away with a point, just like their hosts. However, the performances of both sides were a reminder to Conte that he still has plenty of work to do with his side if they’re to surpass Chelsea this season.
