Chelsea’s defensive strength has become a weakness; eight goals conceded in a week

Chelsea celebrated victory over Leeds United on Saturday thanks to Jorginho’s icy nerves and Antonio Rudiger’s successful saves.

However, now that the dust has settled, there will be cause for concern.

The Blues have conceded 8 goals in the last 3 matches; ‘terrible’ to face is the cornerstone of west London’s title responsibility having conceded just eight goals in their previous 18 games, but some related trends have emerged.

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A solid defence will be needed to be England’s champions, and better performances in that regard are needed.

When analyzing the Leeds game, Thomas Tuchel will find no player out of the field on his team completed more than 90% of their passes, how they were overtaken by Marcelo Bielsa’s side and they were. lacks any kind of creativity.

Mistakes are becoming a habit, with the Blues having conceded four penalties in the league, accounting for 36% of their goals.

The Blues are without key players like N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah, but Leeds have had similar injury problems before, as they are without key players Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo and Liam Cooper.

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Of course, Kante is unique and adds defensive qualities. Kovacic, like Jorginho, is one of three midfielders who can consistently play at the highest level, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is not yet ready to start.

Italy international Jorginho is playing over a painful barrier just to keep his club afloat, with summer signing Saul Niguez not being fully trusted by the Blues manager after a string of weak form. least.

“My back is not in the best shape, but you need to push yourself more to help the team,” Jorginho told BBC Sport after the game. “That’s what I need to do. It’s difficult, but I tried to help his team.”

In addition, Chilwell is the club’s best left-back, with Marcos Alonso’s strength lying in his attacking contributions.

Furthrmore, the Blues are shooting themselves in the foot as the contracts of Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva expire at the end of the season.

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With the particular uncertainty surrounding Rudiger and Christensen, the squad is in danger of losing the players that have led them to a second season of Champions League glory.

Notably, Denmark international Christensen, who is known for his light-hearted manners and is a top professional player, has seen his recent performances drop.

Tuchel has publicly criticized him, amid tumultuous negotiations, and wants to prevent him from leaving for free.

Meanwhile, Rudiger’s performance against Leeds was not his best despite winning two penalties. His overall performances over the past 11 months have attracted interest from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, with the Spanish giants leading the race to sign him. on a freely transferable basis.

Ideally Rudiger would stay, but he wants a salary he can earn comparable to compatriots Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, who rank among the top five earners at Chelsea .

The importance of Rudiger and Christensen has grown this season even as their contracts expire.

It is understood that Azpilicueta has struggled to match the fitness quality he has managed in recent seasons, with Tuchel often leaving him on the bench behind most defenders. other at the club.

It is a blessing that Chelsea have become more ruthless in front of goal this season, with players like Mason Mount scoring at a greater rate, and match winners found from all quarters. area of ​​this great squad.

But even with 17 different scorers this season, the Blues have no match for Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.

Indeed, Liverpool and Manchester City have set the bar for success so high that Chelsea need to pull themselves back to their top form.

Therefore, for a title, it would need to revive its defense. That defense was built on intense football, great teamwork and a tactical structure that refused to counter attacks at all costs.

“We just don’t have a time for things to work out for us,” Tuchel said on Saturday. “We don’t have big things to adjust and the clean sheets will come when we focus on ourselves and not just the results.”

It will still be Chelsea’s recipe for glory if they can get that merciless streak back.