Chelsea vs Tottenham : 3 Talking Points
Ahead of the London Derby at Stamford Bridge, there was a lot of pressure on both sides as they were coming off poor performances. Tottenham was shocked by RB Leipzig in the Champions League while Chelsea lost (read: robbed) to Manchester United.
Chelsea started in a 3-4-3 with a rather unfamiliar frontline featuring Mason Mount, Olivier Giroud, and Ross Barkley. The Blues adopted a high pressing strategy as they managed to create pressure on the Spurs' backline on various occasions.
Spurs also started in a 3-4-3 and looked very cautious in their approach. Mourinho was clearly in a defensive mood, a decision that backfired eventually.
Here, we take a look at three talking points from Chelsea's win over Spurs at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's forgotten players shine
Frank Lampard has come under some scrutiny due to his strange decision in the starting lineup. Be it his decision to rate Michy Batshuayi over Olivier Giroud or his alienation of Fikayo Tomori, Lampard has never shied away from making big calls. The same style was on display against Spurs as Chelsea started with Ross Barkley, Marcos Alonso, and Olivier Giroud. Now, these three players have barely gotten any opportunities this season despite putting in good shifts here and there.
However, Lampard's decision paid off as Alonso and Giroud ended up scoring and changed the game completely. Barkley was also extremely sharp as he made some great runs into the box and was unlucky not to score. He linked up well with Mount and Giroud and was instrumental in the build-up play for Chelsea.
Marcos Alonso was efficient in the wingback position again and was unlucky not to score the second goal. What is even more important is that he was alert in the defensive phase except for the one time where he lost track of Japhet Tanganga's run.
Olivier Giroud has a habit of making comebacks, doesn't he? The Frenchman was awarded a start after his fantastic substitute performance against United. Throughout the game, Giroud dominated aerial battles and held up the ball well. His finishing skills were on display as he managed to beat Hugo Lloris on the near post using a perfect half-volley.
Frank Lampard decided to give starts to some players who have rarely featured in the past and the gamble worked as Chelsea dominated Spurs and won the London Derby.