How Chelsea have transformed from last season to title contenders
After a strong start to the season, just how have Chelsea transformed into title contenders?
By Oli Dickson Jefford
Ten games into a season which was meant to provide a title fight between Manchester City and Liverpool, it is Chelsea that currently top the table.
Thomas Tuchel’s men have lost just once in the league this season and have played some highly impressive football.
It’s been some turnaround for the Blues, who just about edged their way into fourth place at the end of last year.
With a first league title in five years looking a real possibility, just what has changed at Stamford Bridge in the past 12 months or so?
Tactical Tuchel turns things around
Frank Lampard will always be a legend at Chelsea, but there is no denying that things were not heading in the right direction towards the end of his time as manager.
Chelsea struggled defensively and looked very vulnerable at the back, while scoring was also becoming a problem with the likes of Timo Werner not firing.
Yet, under Tuchel, that has certainly changed for the better.
The biggest improvement has been defensively, with the defenders much more organised and consistent under Tuchel’s system.
That improvement was already on display in the latter stages of last season, in particular in the Champions League final against Man City where Pep Guardiola’s men struggled to create any real goalscoring opportunities.
And it has continued throughout this campaign, with the club conceding just three goals across their first ten league matches - by far the lowest total in the league.
That is matched by 26 league goals in that time, a total only bettered by Liverpool.
Although the amount may be slightly skewed after the recent 7-0 victory against a woeful Norwich, the performances in recent months have been more efficient and clinical all around.
And, that is largely down to Tuchel’s superb organisation skills.
Improving players
Though Tuchel deserves a great deal of credit, several of Chelsea’s players are currently in fine form and playing some very good football.
Perhaps the key man so far has been Eduoard Mendy, who has brought a composure and confidence in between the sticks that Kepa Arrizabalaga simply wasn’t able to do during his time as No.1.
Mendy has performed incredibly well in several matches this season but perhaps received the most praise following a stunning display against Brentford.
Against a club that had scored twice against Arsenal and three against Liverpool, Mendy miraculously kept the Bees scoreless with a string of fine saves in a hard-fought 1-0 victory.
Aside from Mendy there are several other players who could be highlighted, but two who have shown perhaps the biggest improvements are Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
James has always shown huge potential rising through the academy system, while Chilwell did perform well following his move from Leicester.
Yet both have seemingly found a new lease of life early on in this campaign, playing consistently well and both - particularly Chilwell - regularly finding the back of the net.
Both are causing havoc for opposition defenders and the fact that the club are performing well despite star attraction Romelu Lukaku’s slow start since rejoining is testament to just how well the team is performing as a whole.
There will certainly be bigger tests to come and we are not yet a third of the way through the season, though things are looking very good in southwest London for Chelsea fans.
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