CHELSEA WERE EMBARRASSING IN THEIR 3-1 DEFEAT AT LEEDS AS MARESCA LEARNS HARSH LESSON - KIERAN GILL
It is fine getting up for those glamorous games, the ones against your Arsenals and Liverpools, your Barcelonas and Paris Saint-Germains. Chelsea have shown a handsome knack for embracing those contests when their opponents are categorised as elite.
But if Enzo Maresca’s young side are to become contenders – and they had spent a good chunk of this week hearing how they should be included in title conversations from now on – then it is necessary they show the consistency of winners in clashes big and small.
You cannot produce a stellar performance in one outing and then a steaming pile in the next. You cannot be the Robin Hoods of football, robbing from the rich and then giving to the poor.
You have to go again, and again, and again. Relentless and robust. Superior and setting standards. Unfortunately for the Chelsea supporters who turned up here after a long journey from London to Leeds, their side did not in the slightest.
Not one of their visiting players looked like they had the stomach to scrap at Elland Road, which was at odds with how hard they battled when Arsenal were the visitors at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Maresca chose the wrong rotations and tactics. Tosin Adarabioyo had one of those nights where he can only have been wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole as full-time approached. Liam Delap led the line with anonymity. Joao Pedro looked exhausted. Not even the second-half introduction of Cole Palmer in what was his first appearance since September helped as he squandered a chance to equalise which, really, he was expected to bury.
Leeds were everything Chelsea were not. Daniel Farke was under pressure after four Premier League defeats in succession. His players played for him here, they deserved to win, and Farke’s tactical plan played a significant part in that.
Maresca confessed on the eve of this trip that he had no idea which formation his counterpart Farke would choose. History suggested a back four because in more than 200 matches as a manager, that had been Farke’s go-to system. He had never used anything else as head coach of Leeds. Except, that is, in their very last outing before this one. Leeds were trailing 2-0 at Manchester City and so, at half-time, Farke switched to a back three. They brought it back to 2-2, only to lose 3-2 in stoppage time. Clearly, Farke saw the potential in that as he abandoned his usual approach and stood by this new 3-5-2 set-up here. Chelsea looked unprepared for it.
To say Leeds exploded into this game would be a gross understatement. After 10 minutes, Leeds had managed five shots to Chelsea’s zero. It was attack versus defence, and Elland Road was at its electric best, with Jayden Bogle only encouraging the home supporters to get even louder.
Chelsea have concocted an innovative new tactic for defending long throw-ins. Just as the ball is set to be launched into their box, Maresca has two of his players sprint out of it and towards the halfway line. The idea is they will take at least two of their opponents with them, thereby easing the congestion in the area and enabling Robert Sanchez more room to come make the catch.
It is a little jarring because we are not used to seeing that but it had been working in games of late and we saw it within the opening five minutes here when Delap and Jamie Gittens were the selected sprinters. However, they did not then use that same tactic when Leeds won a corner.
They did for the visit of Arsenal. They are the corner kings, after all. But Maresca decided against treating Leeds with the same caution. Delap may as well have been nowhere near the box in any case. He was the culprit who lost Jaka Bijol, whose header was too thunderous for Sanchez to stop from flying in. Leeds deserved that lead, and when Enzo Fernandez lost possession after 43 minutes, Ao Tanaka punished him with a swerving shot which Sanchez could not stop.
Maresca loves a half-time substitution. He had made eight in Premier League matches this season, second only to struggling Wolves. Trailing 2-0, we knew what was coming. The only surprise was he stopped at two. Estevao Willian and Benoit Badiashile were sacrificed as Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto were introduced. Neto had started every Premier League game this season except this one, and scored from Gittens’ cross after 50 minutes.
Maresca introduced Palmer and Alejandro Garnacho. It was in the 69th minute when Garnacho set up Palmer but he fired wide from 12 yards. Dominic Calvert-Lewin made it 3-1 instead, and it was self-inflicted from Chelsea. Adarabioyo took a loose touch, was dispossessed by Noah Okafor, Sanchez tried and failed to pounce on the ball, and Calvert-Lewin tapped in to complete an embarrassing evening for Maresca and his men who were made to look like boys by Leeds.
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