The three points in the snow were undignified, and it seems that Chelsea have been the subject of such arguments after every hard-fought victory. Fortunately, when the names in the table start to gradually change to Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and other mid-table teams, although the schedule is still tight, it is worth thinking that the Blues have passed the death schedule of the "Northern Expedition" stage and entered a buffer period. Looking back at the rankings, the ranking is still at 10th place – no doubt below expectations. But combined with the performances of various "rollovers" this season, Pochettino should actually be content with this victory.
Ahead of the game, the leaders of Dimitar Berbatov were of the view that the Blues needed to win, but the current situation left Uncle Bo with no plan that worked. How dire is the situation? Even compared with the deputy squad leader, the team's state has no advantage at all. Both teams have lost a terrible three games in the last five games, but it should not be overlooked, and the club's morale has quickly recovered since Wilder's return to Sheffield United, and they have just won their second league game against Brentford in the last round.
In terms of personnel selection, Uncle Bo is still stretched. Blues supporters have grown numb to Reece James' erratic injury. "James in good health has a top level" seems to have become an unattainable false proposition. The absence of Robert Sanchez has forced Pochettino to push second striker Petrovic to the front of the table – from professional football to Premier League starter, the ascension is a bit too exciting.
After the list was released, combined with various factors, it was unexpected and reasonable. Conor Gallagher moved back and four pure attackers started the game, and there were plenty of signs of the Blues' ambitions for this round. In order to avoid being overpowered, the defensive line of four central defenders reappeared, forming a lineup with very different styles before and after. Xu is in the face of Brighton's miraculous effect, so that Uncle Bo is confident enough in such a strange configuration.
In a sense, Pochettino was overwhelmed, but he was incredibly precise in his judgment of the visitors' game strategy. Wilder is known for his defensive tuning, and the defensive system that the visiting team does not dare to compliment is the source of what often happens. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea were able to achieve an all-round high pressure in the first half with more than 70% possession, and Badiashile even played forward after passing a number of Sheffield United players in the centre circle, as if Pochettino didn't have to struggle defensively.
But the team's hitting the wall on the offensive end may not be within Uncle Bo's expectations - most of the penetrating passes in the ribs and the inverted triangle are in vain. Conor Gallagher was one of the few players who found his rhythm in the game. Speaking on a pre-match podcast, Blues legend Mikel said Conor Gallagher had not played at all during his time with the Blues. However, in the first half hour of the opening period, the armband wore the "own family" who could pose the biggest threat on the offensive end. Shortly after the game, he exploited his long-range shot from the counter-attack, and the Blues captain quickly sent through ball for Raheem Sterling and then Mykhailo Mudryk. The latter is clearly more call-in than Conor Gallagher, with a crotch-piercing and silky feints, and every time the Ukrainians instigate a crisis on the left flank, it will give Chelsea hope of a goal.
The problem lies in the end of the ring. In two average "altitudes" reached 1Nicholas Jackson struggled to play a connecting role between the nine-metre centre-backs, with Mykhailo Mudryk twice unable to get in touch with the Blues centre-forward after he completely shook off crosses from the wings. Even on the counter-attack, he failed to show what he called his technical characteristics: Caicedo's electric through ball penetrated the gap between the centre-backs, but Jackson was not ready to get off to speed and was eventually cleared by the goalkeeper.
Variable** an attempt by the away team. Archer cut through the middle after shaking off a bulky Disasi and fired a powerful shot over the crossbar. The home side realised that they had made at least two clean sheets in five consecutive games, so they could not afford to take it lightly. With a gradual slowdown in the pace, the first half ended hastily.
Perhaps it was this attack that made Wilder aggressive: Chelsea have faced the world on more than one occasion this season, while Villa and Brentford have both used the switch to make the home side suffer. Therefore, Xie Lian, who started in the second half, had a looser formation and a more forward position under the premise of widening the width.
Perhaps it was a coincidence or a keen grasp of the change in the opponent's mentality, with Pochettino making a rare on-the-spot adjustment without substitutions, with Raheem Sterling and Palmer starting to switch more flexibly, while Jackson dropped back more dramatically. After such a move, Chelsea instead allowed the change of opponents to be a breakthrough and opened the goal account as a matter of course.
Cruising around, Palmer was able to use his playmaking skills without confined to the middle lane, and "Happy Boy" was able to use his speed advantage to throw away space. Out of trust in his team-mates, Palmer decisively stepped forward after splitting the ball, and the direction and distance of Sterling's speedy deed, as well as the strength of the subsequent cross, seemed to have been premeditated. If you look down on the first goal, it's more like they tacitly tried a big, delayed one-two pass. The two homegrown players from Manchester City are indeed the most skilled attackers in the Blues today.
At the start of the second half, the home team won 46% of the time; Three minutes after the goal, the Blues' projected win rate soared to 84 per cent. It appears that the algorithm, with its vast database, is also confident that the Blues will be able to hold on to their lead after the goal. We don't know where the confidence comes from, but the Blues did then seize the visitors' precarious mood and turn the momentum into real damage.
Mudryk didn't hesitate to cut straight to Palmer, and after cutting inside to open up space, the England boy who had just made a difference unexpectedly brought the ball down the middle. Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher both slammed into goal, with the latter's lob almost disrupting the tempo of the attack, however, Sterling's fall and outstretched complaints after making contact with his opponent seemed to bring time to a standstill in the six-yard box. Taking advantage of the opponent's hesitation, Palmer crossed to the far end, and Jackson finally fulfilled his duty as a center forward this time, scoring the ball first regardless of the follow-up handling of VAR. This is the weirdness of Jackson's way of playing, joining under the name of "Drogba II" but not having the ability to respond, the last kick is embarrassing, but he can always score in unexpected positions, maybe his future career path should be in line with Inzaghi?
The Blues had a chance to kill the suspense once and for all, but Armando Broja sent the babysitter ball to Palmer's mouth into the stands. The camera was duly shown to Nkunku on the bench, and the Frenchman who could make his debut but ended up on the bench looked depressed. After the game, Pochettino explained that the team's victory was a certainty, and there was no need to put key players on the pitch for the sake of a gimmick. There is no shortage of ridicule on social **, and I am afraid that he will return to the injury list after this game, on the grounds that he was blown into a cold by the cold wind on the sidelines after having nothing to do.
With the winter window just around the corner, rumours are rife that the Blues want to continue their search for guns, with the likes of Osimhen and Ivan Toney on the list. A consistent goalscorer will certainly help the team, but should Uncle Bo also work hard to ensure that the Blues maintain their resilience in this round before the arrival of strong reinforcements?