Even the most pessimistic of Manchester City supporters are surely on board with the fact that their team is now going to win the Premier League title in 2021.
A huge margin separates them from their city rivals Manchester United, as well as Leicester, and with Liverpool’s title defence already up in flames, it looks increasingly likely that Pep Guardiola’s side will stroll home with ease.
However, there is a new threat on the horizon that, although too late to challenge in 2020/21 will already be eyeing a title tilt of their own next season. Chelsea have regrouped under new manager Thomas Tuchel, and after taking over as boss the Blues’ Premier League first 10 games read W6 D4 L0 – in that span, only Manchester City had claimed more points.
13 – @ChelseaFC are unbeaten in their 13 games under Thomas Tuchel in all competitions, the longest ever unbeaten start by a manager for the Blues in the club’s history. Methods. #CHEATM pic.twitter.com/uq5EO4GAdB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 17, 2021
Under Frank Lampard’s doomed tenure, Chelsea kept just seven clean sheets in nineteen domestic games – under Thomas Tuchel, the Blues’ backline has already served up seven blanks in 10 outings.
The German has revolutionised the Londoners from top to bottom, and it’s little wonder that their fans are dreaming of success with a full transfer window under Thomas Tuchel’s belt.
So what changes has he implemented to promote such a dramatic transformation?
THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
While Lampard deployed a three-man backline at times during his tenure, he never really enjoyed any prolonged success with it and would ultimately revert back to the four. But Tuchel is very much a 3-4-2-1 man, and he has implemented that system to some tune – already Chelsea are conceding an average of a goal-a-game less than during Lampard’s reign.
One of the main perks of a three-man backline is that there are more bodies behind the ball, and that greater assurance has led to improved performances from the likes of Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger – who was out in the cold under Lampard. Those three are all prone to individual errors, and so they look much more solid as a collective.
NO LONGER ON A WING AND A PRAYER
It was pretty clear that Lampard had his favourites, and some of the older guard were left out in the cold under his leadership. However, Rudiger and Marcos Alonso, who must have thought his Chelsea career was over when the club signed Ben Chilwell in the summer, have been welcomed back to the fray and are thriving.
Marcos Alonso details brutal advice that inspired Chelsea revival after Frank Lampard feudhttps://t.co/sU6MGNjvO0
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) March 11, 2021
Alonso’s progress has given Thomas Tuchel a ready-made wing back on the left-hand side – crucial in his 3-4-2-1 set-up, and the emergence of Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right provides Chelsea with attacking thrust and defensive energy in equal measure.
70 MILLION REASONS FOR THOMAS TUCHEL
Kai Havertz is, and remains, one of the hottest young prospects in world football. The huge £70 million price that Chelsea paid for the former Bayer Leverkusen man was always going to hang heavily on the shoulders of a 21-year-old, and he has looked overawed at times at Stamford Bridge.
The reality is that Lampard didn’t know how to get the best out of him, which was evidenced by the number of different roles he asked the youngster to fulfil. But it’s back to basics under Tuchel, who has deployed Havertz either as a false nine striker or from just behind… with exceptional results. The German has turned in a series of dazzling displays, and he was one of the best players on the pitch in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
The turnaround under Tuchel has been nothing short of remarkable, and yet all it took were three simple tweaks.
