3 lessons from Chelsea’s season opener against Huddersfield

#2 Defensive concerns remain

Huddersfield Town v Chelsea FC - Premier League: David Luiz

Chelsea ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and will be happy with the clean sheet, but for most of the first half, they had their task cut out.

The high line employed by Sarri will take some getting used to by the players who have been playing a 3 man central defense for the better part of two seasons. The positioning of the back line and their link with the midfield left a lot to be desired.

Too often in the first half, the Chelsea defense was guilty of failing to make up ground while tracking the opposition. David Luiz, who was at the heart of some great last ditch tackles, only had to make them because of his poor positioning in the first place.

Sarri will be concerned about how easily Huddersfield was able to beat their initial press and use the full width of the pitch to great effect. His system will take some time to be fully implemented and he has another week before Arsenal come to visit to get his message across.