A Game of Two Halves

A loss to Chelsea was somewhat predictable, but still disappointing after a promising first half

Two 3-0 losses in a row in the PL is not a good run of form, but I'm still not ready to declare the season a write-off, or even call for #NunoOut. We lost to one of the most objectively talented teams in the league. It happens, especially when our own team is not quite settled at the moment.

However, I do agree with Nuno's post-match comments that the "fans deserve much better than this right now." Because once again, we've witnessed another game where a quality lineup had the potential to get a result, but didn't maintain the focus and motivation to compete for the full 90. Sure, a win wasn't very likely with the sheer firepower that Chelsea had, both in their starting XI and on the bench--as we saw with the introduction of N'Golo Kanté that transformed their midfield and turned the game around in their favor in the second half. But a draw was certainly within reach if the Tottenham squad had come out in the second half with the same energy from the first. At the end of the day, the team simply has to show more sustained fighting spirit in a derby match. There were a few isolated moments in the second half where it seemed like maybe we were going to try to get back in the game, after conceding two goals within ten minutes from Thiago Silva and Kanté, but it was not a unified effort, and Rüdiger's stoppage-time goal was the final nail in the coffin.

In that first 45 minutes, our passing was looking crisper than it had all season, and there were some ideas evident in the attack. This is definitely a sign for optimism going forward, because the team looked surprisingly cohesive after only one late training session with the full team, since the South American players had just returned from their makeshift Croatia training camp. We just need to work on playing the full 90 in that manner, not devolving into individual efforts that don't link up.

I was relieved to see Son looking bright on his first game back from a brief injury spell, but he did fade a bit in the second half (not that he was the only one). I thought Dele and Lo Celso both performed well initially, too, but both were largely responsible for one of the two early second-half goal concessions. Dele's lack of effort to beat Silva to the header was especially concerning, because he had been showing so much defensive improvement earlier this season, albeit a small sample size. I'm starting to run out of excuses for Dele, and that saddens me. And I don't think this is the first time we've seen Lo Celso lose possession in a dangerous area of the pitch and see a goal conceded shortly after. As for the other midfield component, Ndombele... he's got to improve his fitness. That's all there is to it. It's so frustrating to watch him be the most active midfield player in the attack but not be able to last the whole match, and lose his creative spark prematurely.

I'm glad at least that Kanté's goal went down as an actual goal for him and not an own goal for Dier, because Dier's performance was largely positive coming off an injury, too. Both CBs were pretty strong, in fact; Romero did well on his first PL start. And as usual, we should be thanking our lucky stars that we have Hugo Lloris as our #1, because the scoreline could have been far more embarrassing if not for his six superb saves--and we'd be in an even deeper goal-difference hole. Emerson was solid, if ineffectual in the final third, but Reguilón did not fare as well on the other wing. His poor decision to pass rather than take a shot when he had his chance has to come down to a lack of confidence. It would help if he had a PL goal under his belt already from last season, but the drought continues.

One quick note on Nuno's in-game management:  his subs were better today, considering his lack of attacking options due to Lucas' and Bergwijn's injuries. I appreciated that he gave Bryan Gil a chance, and honestly, if Kane had been a little more alert we could have had a chance to score from one of Gil's ambitious through balls (more on Harry's malaise later). Gil continues to show promise and could end up being a real contributor by the end of the season with more game time and improved chemistry with his teammates. Skipp, while an asset on defense, does have the potential to create, as we saw during his stint at Norwich, so I was fine with him coming on to replace a flagging Ndombele. And Romero had no choice but to exit the match due to a cramp, so Sánchez was a natural substitution there. Do I wish Dane Scarlett was a realistic impact sub at this early point of his career? Yes. But he's not there yet, and definitely not for a match like a London derby.

So, Kane... how bluntly should I put this? At the moment, with his clear lack of motivation and suboptimal fitness, he might be a waste of a lineup spot. Besides one exciting moment where had had a give-and-go linkup with Son (it almost felt like old times), he didn't influence the match. And I don't think it's a valid excuse anymore to say that he's not getting enough service, because Son was the one playing up top. If he's choosing to play deeper on the pitch (or being told to by the manager, either way), he needs to be playing a more active role in chance creation, not just finishing his own opportunities (which he also didn't do today, sending his sole shot on-target straight into Kepa's hands). He's meant to be a leader on the team, and he didn't set a good example during this match. If his mind is already on the January transfer window, he's just going to be a distraction on the pitch. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

We go again at Wolves... again

Yep, it's time to travel to Wolverhampton again, this time for a League Cup fixture midweek.

On the downside, we already know from earlier this season that Molineux can be a tough place to go. On the upside, having played Wolves so recently means we already know some of their pain points and potential threats. The million-dollar question for this matchup is:  who's going to be playing at RB to deal with Traoré, who inevitably will be starting against us? Tanganga would have the advantage of not having played on the weekend due to his suspension, but he did pick up a yellow in the last Wolves match, so do we risk another disciplinary snafu? Emerson will not be as fresh, but he's kept a pretty cool head in the matches he's played so far, including against a provocative Zaha in the Crystal Palace game. Another factor is who you want to keep rested for the NLD next weekend... the fixtures are just relentless.

I'm hoping Lucas at least will be available for this match, if not Bergwijn too. We need to build on the attacking effort from the first half of the Chelsea match and get back into the habit of scoring goals--soon! If Nuno takes one lesson from that game, it should be that we play better when we're on the front foot. And against a lesser team like Wolves, we should be able to convert some chances and get the win again. A positive start to the League Cup campaign would be a nice boost before playing our other London rivals in the PL.

COYS