Can Chelsea challenge for the Premier League title? 👀 REACTION to 2-0 win vs. Everton | ESPN FC
After Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton, ESPN FC guests review the performance and discuss what is behind their fast starts
The show mainly reviews Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton. The guests see the clean sheet and three points as positives, but argue Everton offered little attacking threat and the match lacked rhythm, so the win alone does not prove Chelsea are ready to challenge for the title. They also discuss why Chelsea score so often in the first 10 minutes of halves and credit the coaching staff for getting the team ready.
- Chelsea's clean sheet does not prove much because they were not truly tested, and bigger tests lie ahead — Everton are not a team that consistently creates chances or scores goals and usually look to steal results; the clean sheet is a positive, but the opponent's attack was not strong enough to validate Chelsea's defense
- It was a strange game with little rhythm, Chelsea had lots of the ball but rarely turned it into chances, and their second goal came from a broken play rather than sustained creation, so the win was not a statement — There were many stoppages, fouls and referee interventions, and an injury stoppage killed the flow; Everton never really threatened, but Chelsea also did not show they could consistently control the game and create chances
- Chelsea score so many goals in the first 10 minutes of halves because they press at high intensity right from the start and do not let opponents ease into the game — Many players start games relatively relaxed and do not expect top intensity immediately; Chelsea go straight at the opposition, and with good combinations, some fortune and good finishes, they have built belief in fast starts
- Chelsea deserve credit for their starts, and the coaching staff should be praised for getting the players going before the game and before the second half — Whether it is the start of the match or the start of the second half, Chelsea look ready; the coaching staff's motivation helps them switch on as soon as the whistle goes
- Opponents must be alert to Chelsea's fast starts, but players easily forget that, so Chelsea can still exploit their slow starts — Many players think they can wait a few minutes at the start of the second half to get going, and their body language shows it, which gives Chelsea a window to attack early
On ESPN FC, the panel discuss Chelsea’s 2-0 win vs. Everton, the importance of a clean sheet for the defense and whether they can compete with Arsenal and Man City. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC
Transcript
A clean sheet for Chelsea, by the way. Their first clean sheet in 23 games. Two-0il would finish for them. Three points, two more goals, a brace from Pedro Netto. What did you take away from today's game, Stevie? >> Can I stay on the same train? >> Why not? >> Is that a change of time? >> Why go so positively? Listen, if if you don't get a clean sheet against Everton with the front line they've got. >> So that's that's that's all I'm going to say about Chelsea. At the end of the day, yes, you look on the positive side, it is a clean sheet. >> However, they really didn't get tested. Everton Everton are a lot of things, but they certainly aren't this open attacking chance creating machine, goalc scoring machine. They're just not. They're they're looking to steal things is what they usually do. And so the fact that Chelsea's got a a clean sheet, yes, is great. You take the positive from it, but they're going to have bigger and better tests ahead. Was a weird game. >> Yeah. in that it had very little rhythm, a lot of stoppages, a lot of fouls, a lot of sort of the referee getting involved and and you never really got a chance to see what some of the things that Chelsea likes to do with their possession. Um, and while they seem to have a lot of the ball, none of it was really translating into actual chances. And when they finally did score the goal with Pedro Netto and you feel, okay, well, now is when Chelsea is really gonna take control of this match and and they're gonna open things up and there's going to be more rhythm, then you find the the injury to Emiliano Martinez and that sort of stopped the rhythm of play as well. There was no fluidity to this match whatsoever, which I I think it's something that favors Everton and allow Everton to hang around in the game. But to Steviey's point, they never felt competitive in the game. They never felt like they were going to go and threaten and win the match. And so within that framework, Chelsea, they kind of run into a second goal that comes from a broken play, not because they created something, but because a rebound falls to Pedronto again, they win the match. You get the three points, you go home. But it wasn't anything that you go, hey, look at us. It was more like, I'm glad we got we came here, we got the three-point, and let's get home as quickly as possible. >> Okay, there's something interesting that is coming up. Nadam's with us as well with Chelsea right now is the amount of goals that they're scoring in the early minutes of a half, whether it's the first half or the second half. As you can see, they are way ahead of anyone else in the Premier League this season with nine goals in the first 10 minutes of halves. How does this happen? What are they doing that this does go on? Like, how can you do this, Nen? What's behind it? Well, I'm glad you uh you're asking me because I scored so many goals and had so much of an attacking philosophy for the way that I am as a player. Do you know, you know, it's a strange one and I think sometimes there are certain teams that and I don't know if the guys would agree with this, like they want to start the game well, but it's also a time where some players are probably more relaxed than others and they don't believe that the highest level of intensity will arrive straight away. Whereas I think for Chelsea through some of the goals that they've scored because some of them have been great finishes. You know, looking at say Jordan Henderson's last week and so on, like they arrive and they try and deliver high intensity straight away instead of getting a feel for the game, they just go bang and try and take it to the opposition. And I think with some good plays, a bit of fortune and some good finishes. You know, they they have a real belief that when the game starts that that will happen. And I think annoyingly from my side of things and I don't know if Steve would agree with this but when I played everyone would say be tough to break down be really committed that first 101 15 minutes don't give them anything. You know that's when people will play more longer balls not really try and get their foot on the ball and so on. What it just appears that over the years some of those principles maybe they're not seen the same way anymore because defensively you'd always wanted to start a half in a solid manner and finish a half in the same sort of way to where most of the football's probably played between maybe 15 and say 40 but for Chelsea you know they're pressing on sweet spot the opposition and catch them cold because when you do come out sometimes some people do want to take the time and get into it but I guess Chelsea don't allow you to do that. I think I'd have to say you have to look at the coaching staff and give them a pat on the back. You know, everybody on the coaching staff before a game and right before the second half starts are trying to g everybody up and be positive and get them going and make sure that they do start the game properly. And so I'm going to say I think the coaching staff are probably doing a good job of that. >> You've got to be looking at that if you're the opposition team now though going forward against Chelsea, haven't you? Well, yeah, but you know, footballers forget things and I'm sure a lot of teams and a lot of players >> just warning you all guys. We showed you the stats >> when they when they start the second half, it's like, oh, keep we'll get going in a minute. I mean, but some players think that way. It's like, >> give us a couple of minutes and we'll get we'll get going again. I mean, that's kind of you can see it in their body language and it's all right, we're starting again. So, I'm I'm going to say the coaching staff are doing a good job making sure that when that whistle goes, their team's ready for it. Whether it's the start of the game or whe it's the start of the second half.