LONDON — Chelsea moved the ball forward, finding Moises Caicedo just inside Tottenham`s half. With no immediate pressure, Tottenham`s defenders casually retreated. Chelsea switched play to Pedro Neto on the flank, who had space and time. Neto, spotting teammates Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson unmarked, tried to find them, but his passes were overhit, momentarily delaying Chelsea`s attack.
It felt inevitable that Tottenham would concede. Their lackluster defending, particularly at the back post, makes a clean sheet unlikely. Furthermore, they seem to have lost the tactical identity that manager Ange Postecoglou had been trying to implement.
While Ange Postecoglou`s Tottenham was never going to be a defensive powerhouse, they previously had a clear plan. They would press opponents intensely and in numbers. Although this high-pressure approach could leave them vulnerable, the idea was to quickly win back possession and create scoring opportunities themselves.
When did Tottenham last exhibit that intensity? In this game, there was no sign of their pressing game, despite having had an 18-day break. Chelsea regained possession in Tottenham`s defensive third seven times, compared to Tottenham`s four. Earlier in the season, during an injury crisis, Postecoglou had already tempered his aggressive pressing due to questions about its effectiveness without key defenders. Tottenham adapted, becoming less effective, but understandably so.
Despite the return of key defenders Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, and Destiny Udogie, Tottenham`s defense remains disorganized. Their concept of “rest defense” seems nonexistent.
Chelsea often gained possession simply due to Tottenham`s giveaways. They would then encounter a Tottenham defensive line that was slow to react and ineffective. Chelsea easily moved the ball through a midfield where Rodrigo Bentancur seemed to be carrying the burden alone, and then faced Tottenham`s supposedly first-choice back four.
Tottenham`s defensive efforts were largely passive. Chelsea players easily found space between fullbacks and center backs. Cole Palmer had little trouble reaching the byline. Against a more clinical team, Tottenham would have been punished earlier than Enzo Fernandez`s goal in the second half. Jadon Sancho`s performance further suggested that Chelsea might have been better off avoiding his signing. While he had one good shot, many of Chelsea`s attacks fizzled out on their left side.
Tottenham`s defensive weaknesses might be overlooked if their attack was still as potent as it was earlier in Postecoglou`s reign. However, their attacking output has also declined. Since January, they rank 16th in the league with just 1.1 non-penalty expected goals per game. Prior to Robert Sanchez`s late save against Heung-min Son, they had created few significant chances in this match to improve that statistic.
Their struggles in attack have increased tensions between Postecoglou and Tottenham`s traveling fans. While much of the fans` frustration is directed at chairman Daniel Levy, substitutions during the game drew chants of “You don`t know what you`re doing” from some supporters. When one of the substitutes, Pape Matar Sarr, scored a long-range goal, Postecoglou responded by sarcastically cupping his ear towards the away fans.
This incident is the kind of moment likely to be replayed in future discussions about Postecoglou`s time at Tottenham. A promising start built on clear principles and energy has devolved into something undefined. With twenty defeats in all competitions, hovering near the bottom half of the table, and the looming threat of Europa League elimination, Tottenham`s situation is concerning.
