Chelsea picked up a valuable point courtesy of Mason Mount’s second-half spot-kick in the Blues’ 1-1 draw at Southampton as manager Thomas Tuchel remained unbeaten since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
Southampton, who came into the encounter having suffered defeats in six top-flight matches in a row, scored the opening goal against the run of play thanks to Takumi Minamino’s well-taken goal in the first half.
However, Tuchel’s men drew level early in the second half when playmaker Mason Mount won and converted a penalty to keep the West London club fourth on the Premier League log.
The Blues remain unbeaten under German tactician Tuchel and while a draw with the Saints is shouldn’t cause panic at Stamford Bridge, there is one vital position that the Chelsea boss will need to examine.
We have seen Tuchel’s Chelsea dominate possession in every match they have played after the sacking of club legend Frank Lampard in January. That will surely please the former PSG boss and his possession-based playing style.
The playing style has been getting the job done for the Blues as Tuchel remains unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions since taking charge.
However, since Tuchel took charge, the team hasn’t scored more than two goals in a match. The truth is, the side is more solid at the back and has conceded fewer goals. Takumi Minaminowas the first opposition player to find Chelsea’s net in seven matches and there are app for football betting to cash in on those matches.
Scoring just two is not bad but the 1-all draw with the Saints brought to light a habitual theme that has been obvious since the German tactician arrived at Stamford Bridge, which is creating goal-scoring chances.
Playmaker Mason Mount has been playing the No. 10 roles effectively but has almost carried the squad recently. Underperforming summer signing Timo Werner bounced back for the first time in 100 days against Premier League side Newcastle but looked poor against Southampton on Saturday.
England international striker Tammy Abraham shouldn’t have played from the start against the Saints after his ankle injury and was pulled out at halftime, yet France international forward Olivier Giroud wasn’t called upon from the bench. England winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was introduced and then pulled out in the second half, while former Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech offered little when brought on from the bench.
After a sustained period of victories, there is always the feeling that The Blues were going to hand someone a hiding soonest. Some felt it might have been the case but it didn’t happen.
The new Chelsea boss was left frustrated on the touchline throughout the entire match and was asked after the match about his team’s lack of goals since taking Charge.
He was rather optimistic in his response as he promised to work on the deficiency. He also noted that the structure he’s playing doesn’t stop the team from scoring goals, stressing the structure is never the problem or the solution. The tactician explained that the input of the players on the pitch is the most important.
The tactician must work on getting more from his £47million forward Timo Werner because a single goal in 16 matches is unacceptable, despite his relative improvements since the arrival of countryman ThomasTuchel.
To avoid becoming something that club legend Frank Lampard was and often criticized for – being over-reliant on England midfielder Mason Mount, Tuchel must solve the attacking problem ASAP.