Chelsea: A change in fullback tactics nearly pays off for the Blues

Chelsea earned a hard fought draw with Tottenham, but had numerous chances to seize the match thanks to some new tactical tweaks.

There’s only one way to describe the 0-0 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham on Sunday; a Jose Mourinho masterclass. After a hectic first half that nearly saw goals for both sides, the former Chelsea manager had his defense sit deeper, which allowed the Blues to take the lion’s share (pun intended) of possession. This nearly backfired on Mourinho though, as Reece James and Ben Chilwell were allowed to run rampant up and down the sidelines creating some great chances.

I’m not certain if Frank Lampard actually instructed his fullbacks to get forward more in the second half—if he did, he deserves all the credit for a masterclass—but it was this tactical adjustment that nearly gave Chelsea all three points. James and Chilwell were instrumental in the Blues’ second half attack, and their ability to deliver dangerous balls to the forwards probably should’ve resulted in at least one goal.

For the first 45 minutes, Chelsea seemed unsure of how to deal with Tottenham. It was obvious that Spurs were content to sit back and absorb whatever pressure the Blues could provide before launching blistering counter attacks with the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn leading the charge. Chelsea simply couldn’t commit as many men forward as Lampard would’ve liked—most notably James on the right side—out of fear of being exposed at the back. This allowed Tottenham a period of sustained possession, which nearly resulted in a goal if it weren’t for a terrific save by Edouard Mendy.

From the start of the second half though, James and Chilwell were more involved going forward. This pinned Spurs even deeper and gave the Blues quality possession around their opponent’s penalty area. Chelsea had just about 60 percent possession for the match, most of which came in the second half. The team also outshot Tottenham by a total of 13 to five, including a three to one advantage for shots on target.

The most notable example of the fullbacks attacking well came early in the second half when James gave Tammy Abraham two absolutely divine chances to head the ball into the back of the net, both of which he squandered. Admittedly, it wasn’t the young English strikers’ best performance of the season so far, and putting away even one of those two opportunities probably would’ve been enough to secure a Chelsea victory. It was encouraging to see James continue to feed Abraham even after the misses though. It shows the confidence and understanding those two have together.

Chilwell got in on the action too in the 67′, delivering Hakim Ziyech a solid cross into the box after making a great steal off a lazy Eric Dier pass from out the back. The Moroccan Magician put his shot over the crossbar, but this sequence was definitely one of the Blues’ best chances to get on the scoresheet, as well.

Despite the fact that Chelsea probably should’ve won the match, Blues supporters can take some solace in another clean sheet for the team’s improved back four. After what will likely be a tough match against Sevilla on Wednesday, Chelsea will welcome Leeds United to Stamford Bridge for the first time in years on Saturday. That game will be a great opportunity for James and Chilwell to get forward again, and hopefully the attackers will be more clinical than they were against Spurs.

How do you think the fullbacks played against Spurs? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!