Before Chelsea put three past Ciprian Tatarusanu, they weren’t in total control against AC Milan.
In one of those solid European performances that reminded us of Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea were failing to create big chances in the first 20 minutes of the game, apart from a Mason MountTaken from a transition.
They were the ones to score the goal and their breakthrough was the first. There were three in a row, eventually giving Graham Potter’s side the lead in the game.
They felt all similar and almost familiar.
The position of the first set piece made it look like a corner and Chelsea’s routine certainly gave the same vibes. Thiago Silvia starts as Chelsea’s last runner behind Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Loftus-Cheek…
… then, as Mount prepares to take the free kick, the trio in front of Thiago (yellow) disperse. Koulibaly is at the near post. Fofana is at Sergino Dest’s attention. Loftus-Cheek begins to fight Sandro Tonali right in front of Silva.
Silva, the former runner, will have the opportunity to strike the ball unmarked or in a favorable situation. Fofana and Koulibaly’s near-post movement is one part of the job, the others have roles as well.
