"Chelsea weren't in any kind of trouble" - Pundit Shaka Hislop claims Blues were in 'total control' against Malmo despite narrow 1-0 win
Shaka Hislop believes Chelsea were in 'total control' during their UEFA Champions League clash against Malmo FF despite their narrow 1-0 win over the Swedish side.
The football pundit stated that the score-line did not reflect the overall game. He believes the Blues were completely dominant and were never under any real pressure throughout the 90 minutes of play. However, the 52-year-old did credit Malmo for keeping the game tight.
Hislop told ESPN after the game:
"As a score line it didn't really reflect the game. I thought Chelsea were in total control and credit to Malmo for keeping it as tight as it was. But at no point felt like Chelsea were in any kind of trouble."
Chelsea secured their second win over Malmo in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday, having beaten the Swedish side 4-0 in October. A second-half goal from Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech was enough to hand the Blues all three points on the night.
Chelsea have one foot in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Following their win over Malmo, Thomas Tuchel's men now have nine points from four matches and are six points clear of third-placed Zenit St. Petersburg.
The Blues are still three points behind group leaders Juventus, who recorded a comfortable 4-2 win over Zenit St. Petersburg on the same night.
Winning away days. ๐
#UCL | #MalChe https://t.co/hlLJdcWxwS
Chelsea have made a great start to the 2021-22 season
Following their Champions League triumph last season, Chelsea have made a great start to the 2021-22 season. The Blues are on the verge of securing a berth in the knockout rounds, with two games still remaining in the group stage.
However, their form in the Premier League is even better. The Blues are currently top of the league table, having picked up 25 points from their opening 10 matches of the season.
Chelsea are currently three points clear of second-placed Liverpool and five points ahead of Manchester City and West Ham United, who are third and fourth, respectively.
Chelsea's defense has been one of the prime reasons for their incredible start to the season. The Blues have conceded three goals in the Premier League and only one in the Champions League.
Thomas Tuchel's back-three system has worked wonders for Chelsea. The likes of Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva have been rock solid for the side. Meanwhile, wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James continue to be goal threats up front.
Chelsea go three points clear at the top of the Premier League ๐ฅ
๐ผ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ช๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ. https://t.co/yeWlgOTPxZ