Friday, August 25, 2023

Chelsea 3 - Luton Town 0

At half time, I posted the following on The Athletic’s discussion boards:

This was probably a bit dramatic, but my feeling of exasperation was strong, anchored by Chelsea’s largely inert attack over the course of the past year. With two additional goals added in the second half, I had calmed down a bit. It was a much needed result, but the performance itself still lacking. No doubt, these are the types of performances us Chelsea fans should expect as this team, fresh in age and management, works to build on their successes and eliminate errors.

Moment of the Match

Raheem Sterling scores the first goal with a direct approach.

The direct attack mindset has been too often lacking from Chelsea’s performances. It is so refreshing to see it unabashedly embraced throughout Chelsea’s first three matches under Pochettino, led by Raheem Sterling (more on him in a minute). Ironically, this was one of the few moments of the first half that demonstrated such forwardness, leading to my frustration. Nonetheless, more attacks will surely come with increased confidence and more cohesion among the new players.

Player of the Match

Raheem Sterling

Sterling’s influence in this first season has been tremendous, consistently leading the attacks down the right flanks and looking for dangerous passes into the middle. Sterling, as previously mentioned, remains one of the only Chelsea attacking threats that is willing to dribble directly AT an opponent. It’s clear he feels fresh and motivated to start the season; the question now on every Chelsea fan’s mind is how long can he sustain this for?

Lightning Takes

The Positives

  • Nicolas Jackson has scored! But more importantly, Nicolas Jackson continues to do two crucial things very well - display a high work rate and chase down balls AND link up creative play with good runs and positioning.

  • Enzo is elite. Sure there is more polish needed, like many young players, but few can argue with his work rate and vision. He had a beautiful pass to Chilwell at one point that should have been returned into a goal. But through three games his performances are consistent AND high level. You love to see it.

  • Poch has a philosophy. And it’s working! Again so much of these positives are about consistency. High work rate? Check. Through balls and aggressive passes? Check. Versatile wing backs? Check.

The Negatives

  • Injuries. Feels amazing to go a full game and have no injuries, but that bench is simply frightening. The players we need back most crucially are Reece James, Fofana, Chukwuemeka, and Nkunku in attack.

  • Gallagher. I will be the first to say that I admire how hard CG works for Chelsea. I don't take it for granted, and it is great to see him chase down an errant pass or make amends for his own mistake by seamlessly making a defensive transition. But the simple truth is that Galagher is a weak link in what could be a far more cutting attack. Gallagher struggles to understand what to do with the ball in a forward position, and rarely seems to make dangerous runs. When he does have the ball in a dangerous position, he too often seems to make an inaccurate pass or shoot wildly, inconsistent in both power and accuracy. Attacks often break down when run through Gallagher. To some degree, increasing familiarity with what has been a changing cast around him will help ameliorate this issue. But I am personally skeptical that his attacking performance ceiling is high enough to result in the cleverness an elite Chelsea attack needs in the medium to long term. Some players simply don't have it.