Chelsea's underwhelming approach in their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal has left pundits and fans alike flabbergasted. The Blues' conservative strategy, which saw them take a defensive-minded approach despite needing a goal to send the tie to extra-time, was utterly bewildering.
Despite having 14 shots, Chelsea only managed two on target, generating a mere 0.68 expected goals. It's a dismal return from such a dominant position in the tie, and it raises serious questions about their mental toughness and desire to win.
The fact that Chelsea needed Kai Havertz's late goal to secure a 1-0 victory in stoppage time highlights just how far off they were from achieving their objectives. The German midfielder's 97th-minute strike was the only thing that prevented Arsenal from progressing to the final, but it came at the expense of a thoroughly unimpressive display from Chelsea.
Their approach was criticized by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, who exclaimed: "I'm flabbergasted. I can't believe what I've just watched. Chelsea aren't a bottom-five team. They have World Cup winners." He went on to express his frustration at the Blues' lack of effort and creativity in attack.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior was forced to defend his tactics, claiming that he had been too cautious. However, his response rings hollow when considering the context of the tie. A semi-final match is the perfect opportunity for a team to show their mettle and push themselves to the limit. Instead, Chelsea opted for a methodical, if uninspiring, approach that yielded little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Ultimately, it's the result that matters, and Arsenal will be thrilled to have progressed to the final with ease. But for Chelsea, this defeat is an alarming sign of their mental and tactical readiness to compete at the highest level.
Despite having 14 shots, Chelsea only managed two on target, generating a mere 0.68 expected goals. It's a dismal return from such a dominant position in the tie, and it raises serious questions about their mental toughness and desire to win.
The fact that Chelsea needed Kai Havertz's late goal to secure a 1-0 victory in stoppage time highlights just how far off they were from achieving their objectives. The German midfielder's 97th-minute strike was the only thing that prevented Arsenal from progressing to the final, but it came at the expense of a thoroughly unimpressive display from Chelsea.
Their approach was criticized by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, who exclaimed: "I'm flabbergasted. I can't believe what I've just watched. Chelsea aren't a bottom-five team. They have World Cup winners." He went on to express his frustration at the Blues' lack of effort and creativity in attack.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior was forced to defend his tactics, claiming that he had been too cautious. However, his response rings hollow when considering the context of the tie. A semi-final match is the perfect opportunity for a team to show their mettle and push themselves to the limit. Instead, Chelsea opted for a methodical, if uninspiring, approach that yielded little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Ultimately, it's the result that matters, and Arsenal will be thrilled to have progressed to the final with ease. But for Chelsea, this defeat is an alarming sign of their mental and tactical readiness to compete at the highest level.
I mean, 14 shots and only 2 on target? That's not even a decent half-time team talk 
You need to be more clinical in front of goal, especially when you're the favourites. And that late goal by Havertz was just a fluke 
I don't think it makes up for their entire lacklustre display. They should've been more aggressive and created more chances, not just hoof the ball downfield 
Liam Rosenior's defense of his tactics is weak 
If you're in a semi-final, you need to be bold and take risks, not play it safe all the time 
Chelsea needs to sort out their mental game ASAP 
. Chelsea need to figure out what's going on with their mental toughness and get their game up, pronto! 
. They had all the possession, but couldn't seem to create anything. I mean, 14 shots and only 2 on target? That's just not good enough. And Kai Havertz's goal was a bit lucky if you ask me 
. It's like they were expecting Arsenal to be rubbish, which is just not the case. The Blues need to step up their game and start showing some real passion for winning. A team that's supposed to be one of the best in the league can't even get excited about a semi-final match? 
. i feel bad for liam rosenior tho, he sounds really stressed out about his tactics and its hard to blame him 
maybe they should've gone more aggressive earlier? idk but that late goal from kai havertz was the only thing that saved them from getting smashed 
. 14 shots just to get TWO on target? It feels like they were playing a completely different game than Arsenal. I mean, you can't just take a defensive approach and expect to win when you're the favourites. They needed to be more clinical, more adventurous... heck, they even scored a goal in stoppage time! 
Liam Rosenior says he was too cautious, but that just doesn't sit right. It's a semi-final match – this is the time to go all out and make an impact! Instead, they're playing like they're worried about losing... 
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they had so many chances but didnt create anything worth talking about 
took a defensive approach when you need to be bold and take risks 
it was like they were waiting for something to go wrong instead of making it happen 
kai's goal at the end was just a consolation prize imo 
but seriously chelsea needs to get their act together if they want to win anything this season 
and paul merson was spot on... chelsea ain't got nothin on arsenal right now 
. It's got me wondering if they're really ready for the big stage 
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seriously though, what was goin on with those chelsea tactics? they played it so safe, i reckon they just didn't want to lose 
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. Their approach was so conservative that it felt like they were playing a different game altogether. I mean, 14 shots and only two on target? That's just unacceptable. It's like they were stuck in park mode and refused to switch gears.