Chelsea 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers, Premier League: post-game reaction, standings

A new day, but very familiar, good and bad.

Chelsea started the game with the proverbial new hitting coach in our stride, with plenty of pace, strength, invention and momentum, using the entire width of the field, but not just to cross.

But, as often happens, a first quarter of an hour without goals ended up in more possession, and while Chelsea accumulated numbers of passes, we represented little real threat to the Wolves’ goal. To our credit, we prevented the Wolves from counterattacking, since we had the ball almost all the time (a lot of Sarri-ball, that), but aside from a few dead balls and Hudson-Odoi runs, there was little danger with the blue shirts .

The second half was almost the same, with Chelsea representing a little more of a threat, but the Wolves also representing more danger during their rare counterattacks. Some half-chances for Chilwell, Giroud and Havertz were pleading, as well as some excellent passes in the six-yard area, while Neto hit the bar in a counterattack that may or may not have counted on strong suggestions for impediment in the process.

Tuchel tried something different by putting Pulisic in the fray to also play as a full-back, but Chelsea have yet to find a significant advance.

0-0.

Carefree.

• Initially reported as a 4-2-3-1, Tuchel opts for what turned out to be a 3-4-3, with Azpilicueta playing as a defender and Hudson-Odoi as a lateral a la Moses under Conte. Two No.10s to support a single striker, with Kovacic and Jorginho accumulating passes in the middle.
• Pulisic entered the 15 finalists to play as a sideline too, with Hudson-Odoi moving to the left and Chilwell attacking. Abraham for Giroud and Mount for Ziyech the other two changes.
• Chelsea returned to eighth place, at least for now, tied on points with Arsenal, at least five of the top four.
• Next: Burnley on Sunday (Burnley won again today, the third in a row, beating Aston Villa, of course.)
• KTBFFH

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