Tottenham Hotspur – Chelsea: Royal Left Free To Rumble And Add More Pressure On Potter (2-0)

In-game tactical tweaks had been established as Graham Potter’s strongest muscle. Yet Tottenham Hotspur built down the left and found Emerson Royal free in space, time and time again. In an unproductive affair, how such gambles from the Chelsea coach could have made an important difference.
Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.

The touchline bust-up between Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte seems so many seasons ago. But when fans face strained relationships between themselves and the current coach, seasons can feel so much longer. 

How supporters feel about Conte is always judged by his long-termism, but success and titles often cloud that aspect. The problem for Tottenham is the progression towards a trophy has not changed. When things click on the field, five minutes of Harry Kane magic can see them through but this has proven to be an unsustainable platform to build on. From the dugout, Cristian Stellini was making orders as Conte recovers from surgery.

Chelsea is no stranger to drastic overhauls, but this is certainly different from the inevitable position they had established in the previous two decades. They have never spent as much but never looked so incoherent. Graham Potter’s adaptability appears to have faded as he attempts to root new relationships in his star-studded cast, but with one win in ten, how long can they afford to wait?

Spurs remained unchanged from their 2-0 win over West Ham. However, they were missing key absentees from their team: Hugo Lloris, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Yves Bissouma are all unavailable for the time being.

Potter has stuck his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with big hitters trying to organically . . .