It is customary for any great trilogy to feature some sort of redemption, revenge or at least a fitting finale. In truth, the clinical nature of Chelsea’s three victories over Tottenham this month left no room for such drama. It has been a course of unerring superiority, requiring just five minutes for Thomas Tuchel’s side to assert their dominance in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and culminating in Sunday’s clinical 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
After what has been the most exacting period of Tuchel’s tenure, even if Chelsea’s title hopes are still all but redundant, it felt somewhat like natural order had been restored. And although victory offered few great revelations for the months ahead, as a fatigued squad now welcome a much-needed winter break, it did illustrate Tuchel’s continued attempts to evolve a tactical system that had turned a little stagnant.
