Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Chelsea, Premier League: Review and Statistical Analysis

A first victory against a “big six” opponent, and a reasonably comfortable victory against José Mourinho’s timid Tottenham. Performance was controlled and considered, rather than clinical, but Chelsea’s superiority extended from the sideline to most positions across the field.

Similar to Wolves and Burnley, Tottenham showed virtually no desire to interrupt Chelsea’s ball possession game. Tuchel’s team, for the most part, moved the ball very well, without creating many clear openings. Eric Dier’s lapse in concentration created a penalty and there were two decent transition situations in the second half for Werner and Mount when the game started. Out of the three chances, which contributed about two-thirds of the team’s xG, there were not many clear opportunities. As the team becomes familiar with Tuchel’s methods, our open play attack against deeper blocks should improve.

Most impressive was the structure of the team without the ball. Although Tottenham have shown little intention of attack, it is not always that a team from Mourinho is defeated so often in duels and second balls in a big game. This was possible due to the compactness of the new 3-4-3 system, which ensured that Chelsea could maintain possession of the ball.

---

Statistics for fbref and underestimate.

---

Thomas Tuchel

Tuchel continued with the same 3-4-3 system that was deployed against Wolves and Burnley and proved he was right to do so. Tottenham struggled to cope with Chelsea’s ball movement, especially in the first half, and could have conceded more than just one goal had it not been for some inaccuracy and bad timing in the final third of Chelsea’s attackers.

Even under defensive pressure at the end of the game, Chelsea gave Vinicius a header just one chance, and that’s commendable considering the team’s recent weaknesses. The improvement of the team in compact size, especially in the midfield, may have been Tuchel’s biggest plus so far.

RATING: 7.5

---

Édouard Mendy

He made a beautiful stop at Lamela, the first time he had to struggle under Tuchel. It took a lot of risks with the ball for the writer’s taste, but based on post-game comments, it was a tactic designed to find spaces beyond the Tottenham press.

RATING: 6

---

Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC photo via Getty Images

Reece James

He filled the statistics sheet without ever looking totally comfortable. Sometimes the passes received are very square, thus eliminating the options for progressive passes. When he received the ball in promising situations, his conservative nature disappointed him. His connection with Hudson-Odoi in particular fell after the first 20-25 minutes, starving Chelsea’s biggest creative threat with the ball in dangerous locations.

Important statistics
7 passes to the penalty area – 1st among Chelsea players
6 photo creation actions – 1st
3 key passages – 1st joint
2 successful dribbles (2 attempts) – 2nd
10 loose ball recoveries – 2nd
6 progressive passes – Articulation 2
6 touches on the penalty box – 3rd joint

RATING: 6.5

---

Cesar Azpilicueta

He did a good job of moving the ball from defense to midfield. It has remained defensive too, although it has not been much tested in this regard. In many ways, he’s back to his quietly efficient performances on the right side of Conte-era defense-3.

Important statistics
14 passes to the final third – 1st
9 progressive loads – 1st
2 passes to the penalty box – Articulation 2
6 progressive passes – Articulation 2

RATING: 7

---

Thiago Silva

He played a great game until he was injured, canceling Tottenham’s attacks with ease. His low rating is due more to the fact that he only played 36 minutes than to any problems with his performance – he was comfortably the best defender on the pitch during his stay.

Important statistics
8 progressive passes – 1st

RATING: 6.5

---

NEIL HALL / POOL / AFP photo via Getty Images

Antonio Rüdiger

He had a discreet and uncomplicated game and was involved in a few hectic moments – always a good thing for the defenders. Your ball progression could have been better.

Important statistics
2 tackles – Joint 2
4 aerial duels won (5 disputed) – 3rd

RATING: 7

---

Marcos Alonso

He did his job well as a left-back, especially from a defensive point of view. However, its usual attacking effectiveness was lacking.

Important statistics
7 aerial duels (9 disputed) – 1st
12 loose ball recoveries – 1st
3 tackles – 1st
6 clearances – 1st joint
22 pressures – 3rd joint

RATING: 6.5

---

Mateo Kovačić

Although his performance with the ball was not as attractive as in the previous two matches, his discipline outside the ball was a big reason for Chelsea’s success. His decision-making was a little dubious, especially in passes aimed at the final third.

Important statistics
6 charges to the final third – 1st
2 interceptions – 1st articulation
6 progressive passes – Articulation 2
2 passes to the penalty area – Board 2
7 progressive loads – 3rd

RATING: 7

---

Kirsty Wigglesworth – Pool / Getty Images photo

Jorginho

Similar to Kovacic, Jorginho made an excellent defensive display in terms of maintaining discipline and maintaining form. In addition, his ability to receive defense passes and relieve pressure was very important to sustain our game. Playing in front of three defenders ensures that he does not have to fall between defenders to receive the ball and makes his game much more productive.

Important statistics
1 goal
5 tickets to the final third – 2nd joint
2 tackles – Joint 2
2 main passages – 3rd
8 loose ball recoveries – 3rd
22 pressures – 3rd joint

RATING: 7.5

---

Callum Hudson-Odoi

After two penetrating displays, Hudson-Odoi performed more moderately while playing different roles – as a more traditional striker. He didn’t get the ball early enough in dangerous areas and sometimes made doubles. These two factors mean that he rarely had a chance to find the separation he normally does and this greatly limited his ability to attack.

Important statistics
3 shots – 2nd joint
2 passes to the penalty box – Articulation 2
6 touches on the penalty box – 3rd joint

RATING: 6

---

Photo by Neil Hall / PA Images via Getty Images

Mason Mount

He had a first half under par (by his very high standards), in which he was active without making the right decisions with the ball. After the break, he returned to his normally high levels and was an important factor in looking for transition opportunities to escape pressure from Tottenham. It created good chances for Werner and himself, none of which was taken advantage of. His ability to find space and receive the ball has been a staple of Tuchel’s game and has created several situations in which we have outnumbered opponents in the attack.

Important statistics
5 main passages – 1st
28 pressures – 1st
2 interceptions – 1st articulation
8 touches on the penalty box – 2nd
8 progressive loads – 2nd
3 leads to the final third – 2nd
3 shots – 2nd joint
5 tickets to the final third – 2nd joint

RATING: 7.5

---

Timo Werner

For the second consecutive game, Werner hit a truck with touches in the area and gave a good number of shots, albeit of low quality. His defensive work was also highly recommended. Although far from meeting the high expectations placed on him, the last two games represent a clear improvement over the previous performance.

Will this improvement translate into goals?

Important statistics
4 photos – 1st
12 touches on the penalty box – 1st
3 loads into the penalty box – first
26 pressures – 2nd
5 shot creation actions – Articulation 2
2 tackles – Joint 2
7 progressive loads – 3rd

RATING: 6.5

---

Substitutes

Chris Lee – Chelsea FC / Chelsea FC’s photo via Getty Images

Andreas Christensen (36 minutes) – He showed no nervousness when replacing Silva. He defended the area well, but never advanced with the ball. Regardless, this was a positive performance in test circumstances.

Important statistics
6 clearances – 1st joint
5 aerial duels won (6 competed) – 2nd

RATING: 6.5

Christian Pulisic (65 minutes) – He ran a confused race, but he didn’t do much otherwise. Decision-making could have been much better.

N’Golo Kanté (74 minutes) – It looked rusty off the bench and didn’t always fit the team’s defensive structure. He also won a very silly yellow card.