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Tuchel is impressed with Chelsea’s defensive records!

What did Tuchel say?

[coach 523937] said, “Many times attacking is a good way to defend your own goal, and sometimes in the 50 matches we were forced to overcome difficult moments.”

“Sometimes we had to dig in and defend deep, which we don’t like too much, but I feel the players are very open to finding solutions and going through difficult moments.

“It’s a team sport, it’s what we all love about it.”

“We attack together and defend together. There are many ways to defend: high pressing, counter-pressing, sitting deep. They are all allowed, and every way is beautiful. We are constantly on it, but it’s not the case we spend 90 per cent of our time thinking about defensive solutions. It’s more or less the opposite.

“The open-minded players and the quality of the players, in combination with the mentality of the club, is a very good mix to produce numbers like this.”

“If you look at the goal from [player 1193] at [team 42], I was surprised when I saw it again and realised [player 31837] was the first one to be there and congratulate and hug him. How fast did that happen?! He scored from the 18-yard box!

“When you look at it in detail, while N’Golo is driving with the ball, you will see Toni is closing the space and doing this kind of invisible work to close a striker down, [player 5321] Lookman. If the shot was blocked, and the ball came into that area, Toni is the first one to counter-press. He takes the responsibility so Lookman cannot get the ball freely, turn and initiate a counter-attack that ends with [player 1182] scoring.

“This is the kind of work where we are taking care with our roles. Toni’s work was very humble because it’s not often N’Golo scores from 18 yards on his left foot. He did not just step back and watch, he did his part.”

How important is Chelsea’s defensive solidity?

[team 18] are deservedly leading the [league 8] table so far this season. In multiple games, they have displayed something different about themselves. Sometimes it’s their attacking quality; sometimes, it’s their work rate in the midfield. At times, they have also proven that they can stick together as a low block and grind results out.

Another interesting aspect where Chelsea have been great this season is the share of goals all over the team. The moment [player 995] got injured, Chelsea fans were worried. They thought this might cause them to slip away from the title challenge. However, the likes of James, [player 1601] and [player 32612] have stepped up to cover up for the Belgian.

The share of goals from attack to defence is staggering. Chelsea play like a solid unit and are efficient in most games. They have a deep squad, and since Lukaku’s injury, he has gone with a fluid front three, which has worked. Also, the form of their right wing-back, [player 581220], has been tremendous. His contribution to Chelsea’s attacks has been massive.

However, there is something that people often overlook in this context. As excellent as Chelse have been going forward, their defensive performances are also second to none. The biggest reason why they are at the top of the table is their defensive record. Chelsea don’t score too many goals, and as a result, the reliance they possess on their defence to keep clean sheets is huge.

The reason why they are getting goals from various positions is because of the reliable structure behind them. The unity in this Chelsea side is great, and the way they grind results out is something that could be detrimental in their title aspirations.

Author: Devashish Akolekar

With Chelsea leading the Premier League Table as we reach December, their boss is delighted with their defensive performances.

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