Chelsea on Thursday evening all but sealed third place with a 1-1 draw against Leicester city.
The blues came into the match with the knowledge of Champions league football already guaranteed for next season and sought to end the season with victories in both final home matches.
Leicester city took the lead with their first attempt of the match and the blues took control afterwards before finally pulling level after some brilliant play by Recce james and a sumptuous finish from Marcos Alonso.
The first half ended with both sides level and with the amount of chances that were been created, one would have been right to expect a goal feast in the second period.
The second period took the exact pattern of the first but this time goals were lacking with the blues toiling, creating but not finishing. Another game at the Bridge ends in frustration and Chelsea now have just one more game this season (Home to Watford on Sunday) before calling it a day in the 2021/2022 Premier league season.
Here are 5 lessons learned on another frustrating outing at the Bridge;
◦ Pulisic’s wastefulness;
With a chance to finally stamp his name on the team’s sheet, Pulisic has remained inconsistent with his performances in front of goal.
After wining the game against West Ham with a brilliant finish, Pulisic has missed numerous clear cut chances since then and such chances have come back to hurt the blues.
Christian’s lack of physical strength was also exploited here against Leicester as he got bullied off the ball by Evans and Fofana on a few occasions. Pulisic has to do better if he wants a starter’s shirt come next season.
◦ Kante’s decline;
A player synonymous with consistency, it’s a strange occurrence seeing such a player struggle for form.
N’golo Kante has seen himself go from being the most reliable when available and fit, to being dispensable even in the absence of a world class replacement.
The Frenchman has struggled with injuries for a couple of seasons now and with his best days seemingly past him, Tuchel has another problem to contend with considering there’s been some rumor of Jorginho wanting to return to Italy with Juventus.
A nice man and a brilliant player on his day, every Chelsea fan does hope Kante rediscovers his absolute best and returns for the new season with the sort of performances we’ve become accustomed to.
◦ James, a viable midfield option?
With the Blues in search of a wining goal, Tuchel made changes and one such changes saw Reece James move into midfield with Azpi taking his place as the RWB.
Before the switch, James often tucked in from the right to create an overload in the middle of the park and one such move saw James slide Lukaku in who played a brilliant cross only for Pulisic to miss his strike letting Leicester off the hook. James’ ability to drive with the ball could be a necessity in tight spaces and his final passes seems better than most midfielders present at the club excluding Jorginho and Kovaciç.
With the season all but over now, Tuchel could be tempted to try James in midfield against Watford and if he does turn out good, going into pre-season would be another chance to see how viable the option of playing James in midfield is.
◦ Ziyech wants Chelsea stay;
Of all the players present on the pitch tonight, Hakim Ziyech fought the hardest and seemed as hungry as Thiago and Reece James for a win.
The Moroccan chased, harried, and hurried the Leicester players and should be proud of his performance. Ziyech had the most shots in the game and was present all across the frontline, constantly moving and getting on the ball.
With the new owners watching on and Tuchel blowing trumpets of a squad rebuild, Ziyech showed he wants to be a part of the squad come next season.
◦ Defensive distractions costs Chelsea;
With as many as four regular defenders living in uncertainties, the blues have suffered from lapses of concentration and committed errors leading to goals more than every team in the top half of the table.
Alonso, Azpilicueta, and Christensen have all played huge parts in the concession of cheap goals this season and with their attention divided, the reason is not far-fetched.
Leicester city’s only goal of the game tonight came as a result of another defensive mix up between Rudiger and Alonso who should have dealt with the ball before poorly communicating with Rudiger before Castagne pounced and fed Madison who struck beautifully to briefly give the foxes a lead.
Man of the Match; Reece James 8/10
Next up for Chelsea is the final game of the season as relegated Watford come visiting on Sunday.
