A welcome comeback
There had to be a change in the Chelsea defense with Kalidou Koulibaly banned after his dismissal against Leeds United. How would Thomas Tuchel replace the international from Senegal on the left of his core defensive three?
The response? Bring in Trevoh Chalobah for his first appearance of the season and begin with a back four. The 23-year-old was brought in to play alongside Thiago Silva and next to Reece James after sitting on the bench as a substitute against Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Leeds United.
In advance of the game, Tuchel noted, “It was a simple choice for us. “He senses some of the strain of playing a new position this season. As a challenger seeking to get into the side last year since not many people were aware of what he could provide, he entered the team as somewhat of an underdog.
“At this point, I sense that he is developing as a player and that he has high expectations for himself. For a young player like Trevoh, this is a typical evolution, and we have faith in him. He has the opportunity to demonstrate this today, and we can typically count on him to deliver.
That served as evidence. Chalobah’s major responsibility in the first 45 minutes was to advance the ball, which he has shown he can accomplish with little difficulty. But Tuchel decided to make a change at halftime and move the academy graduate across to the left of a back three after Chelsea was reduced to 10 men halfway through the first half.
Chalobah handled the transfer well and was a key player as Chelsea struggled to cling to the advantage that Raheem Sterling had given them. His lone mistake came late in the game when Edouard Mendy was rounded by Jamie Vardy after he beat him to a long ball forward. Thankfully, the Leicester forward missed the goal.
The competition for playing time with the first team will only become tougher for Chalobah since Wesley Fofana’s deal is anticipated to be official within the next 48 hours. The Blues have yet to lose a Premier League game that he has started, but he proved against Leicester that he can be relied upon.
Tuchel watches for a moment.
Tuchel’s conduct on the sidelines is a fascinating side story to each Chelsea game. He wasn’t there; it was just another Leicester. Instead, he was serving his touchline suspension for his involvement in the post-match altercation with Antonio Conte during the draw with Tottenham while seated in the sumptuous middle tier of the East Stand.
Tuchel’s aides, Arno Michels, Zsolt Low, and Anthony Barry, were in charge of running things on the field while he was away. It was evident early in the first half when Conor Gallagher received the first of his two yellow cards that none of the three were quite as animated—or maybe agitated—as Tuchel.
The fourth official made a severe judgment, but Cesar Azpilicueta, the club captain, approached the fourth official to voice his displeasure rather than one of Tuchel’s assistants. Before being led back to his seat, the Spaniard argued for a while.
Tuchel was able to address his team at the halftime break, but he seemed much more subdued; the distance undoubtedly affected his emotional engagement. Tuchel remarked after the game, “We made the most of it. It’s uncommon not to have the effect immediately from the sideline. “I am pleased that we won. It was well-organized.
“I had the opportunity to be in the locker room before to and at halftime. I was segregated from the practice facility for the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi [after testing positive for Covid]. There is no comparison. I was in the stadium, I could see the squad, and I was in a great place to watch and analyze the game.
Gallagher’s challenging beginning
Each path to the Chelsea first squad is unique. At the age of eight, Gallagher began his involvement in the academy and spent more than ten years on loans at Charlton Athletic, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, and Crystal Palace.
Gallagher showed Tuchel that he belonged at Chelsea, the team he and his family had always loved, with the latter. The moment he made his debut against Everton was memorable. similar to his debut versus Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
Both of their appearances were bench players. Gallagher and Chelsea didn’t have an easy day in his debut start last week at Elland Road. Keeping his spot in Chelsea’s midfield for Leicester’s visit, he would have expected better. Sadly, things didn’t turn out as we had intended.
Gallagher received a severe early booking and a second yellow card for preventing Harvey Barnes from launching a comeback. The 22-year-old made a horrible challenge that he didn’t have to make, and Chelsea’s preparation for the foul was just as bad.
It began with a Chelsea corner that Marc Cucurella delivered. The first guy couldn’t get to the ball, so it was returned to the Spaniard. The full-back tried to throw a pass to Mason Mount on the volley, but he completely messed it and let Barnes sprint onto the ball before Gallagher could stop him.
Cucurella’s displeasure at his involvement in the dismissal was evident as he twice leaped on the spot, and Tuchel afterward stressed that Gallagher wasn’t the only one at fault. The Chelsea head coach stated, “Of course, he realizes that was a major mistake. “We had a quick conversation after the game and situations like this do occur.
Because it’s a set-piece for us, and given how carelessly we now handle set-pieces, it’s not only his responsibility.
We lack conviction and accuracy. We are able to express it clearly. We now don’t take set pieces well enough, and on top of that, we waste opportunities.
“We make lousy coverage decisions and shoddy decisions on how we cover set pieces. We must immediately cease doing this and begin to improve. The team and I are working on it, and I have no idea why it occurred again.
“At the conclusion of this chain comes a choice that, after 25 minutes, results in such a significant disadvantage. Conor made a terrible choice, therefore it seems sense that he is sad. Everyone was agitated at this point since the football game was nearly lost.
