SARRI ...THEY HAVEN’T A CLUE
Eight months in, manager’s Blueprint still leaving players in total confusion
THERE is a raging debate about exactly what ‘Sarri-ball’ is but, here at Goodison, we discovered what it most certainly isn’t – working.
On this evidence, it isn’t dynamic enough for the Premier League, or resilient enough either. And for Chelsea, it simply isn’t making the most of the undoubted talent of their main threat, Eden Hazard. Against Everton they had a clear edge, more threat, more obvious ability on the ball, and should have been three up inside 15 minutes.
Yet despite their early dominance threatening a landslide, Chelsea found themselves two goals down midway through the second half, and floundering against a side who have had their own struggles with confidence and leadership of late.
Hazard could have had a couple early on, only a fine save from Jordan Pickford and the post denying him, while Pedro also had a couple of big chances.
Yet Chelsea blew the game... and with it the chance to leapfrog Manchester United and join Arsenal lurking just a point behind Spurs, who currently stand third in the Premier League.
The reason seems to centre around an inherent lack of urgency in manager Maurizio Sarri’s system, no matter how it’s dressed up.
Everton were there for the taking in the opening 20 minutes, but the patience and slow build-up meant the visitors took their boot off the head of the Toffees, just as they were about to grind it into the turf.
This is the Premier League – you cannot show opponents such leniency. Especially not opponents like Everton, who need little encouragement in front of their own, rousing crowd.
They clung on gamely and, even by the end of the first half, had posted a couple of half-chances themselves to suggest just how careless Chelsea had been.
Four minutes after the break, they punished the west Londoners for their sloppiness. Seamus Coleman won a corner on the right, Gylfi Sigurdsson swung it over for Dominic Calvert-Lewin – who gave David Luiz a torrid time – to head goalwards.
Kepa Arrizabalaga saved, but pushed the ball out for Richarlison to head home from close range. Shocking.
But worse was to follow from the visitors when a ball was swung in from the right on 72 minutes. Marcos Alonso was sleeping as he challenged Richarlison, allowing the Brazilian a touch, then lazily bringing him down.
Sigurdsson saw his penalty saved – Everton have missed their last SIX here – but stayed calm enough to stroke home a rebound that Kepa again sent straight back out.
The limp display at Goodison sums up Chelsea’s struggles on their travels in 2019.
They have lost four of their last five away games, and conceded 15 goals in those matches… scoring just twice.