Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham: 3 things to notice | Premier league 2019-20 

Chelsea beat Tottenham comfortably in a fairly one-sided Premier League affair as they overwhelmed Jose Mourinho's side completely. Frank Lampard deployed a system that Spurs failed to handle and they couldn't muster any useful attacks. Chelsea's young players were the key to the result due to their energetic play and their control over the pace of the game.

Willian put in a fantastic performance as he scored a beautiful curler after 12 minutes and finished a penalty just before halftime. The first half was completely dominated by Willian as he was running past every white shirt that came in his way. The second half was more evenly poised; however, the Blues still had the better chances as Mason Mount pressed high and choked them for space. Tottenham just didn't look into the game and were never really in control.

Here, we take a look at three things to notice from the game.

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#3. Conservative approach from Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea FC - Premier League

Frank Lampard, the Chelsea manager, adopted a conservative approach against the Spurs. The Blues started in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Here, Lampard went for Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso as the wingbacks. This showed that Lampard was prioritizing his defense. With three centre-backs, it was clear that Chelsea were finally paying attention to their haywire defense.

This man asnwered a lot of his critics yesterday

While Emerson and James have pace and are better dribblers of the ball, Lampard went for Azpilicueta and Alonso as both were defensively more sound and could defend well in a back five off the ball.

In midfield, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic started in the two midfield spots. The front three featured Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, and Willian. By pushing Mount into an advanced position, Lampard fielded two defensively solid midfielders in a pivot. Moreover, it gave Mount the freedom to roam into free space and move the ball forward. It also allowed Willian to wreak havoc by running through the pitch, past the Spurs' defenders with ease.

Essentially, this approach caught Mourinho by surprise as Chelsea managed to go two goals up by halftime.

#2. Mason Mount outplays Delle Alli

Mount ran past the Spurs' backline with ease.

Two of England's brightest midfield prospects were on the pitch yesterday. And there was only one winner as Mason Mount made a clear statement to everyone watching.

Mount was pressing energetically throughout the game and never allowed the Lilywhites to settle into the game. Another thing to note here is that he constantly troubled the Spurs' backline. On more than one occasion, their center-backs lost the ball to Mount as he didn't give them the space to look for a pass.

Very Unnecessary

Now, Dele Alli has transformed into a completely different player under Jose Mourinho. Ever since the famous "brother" conversation between Alli and Mourinho, he has been involved in most of Spurs' attacks and has been one of the best players in the league. However, Alli failed to make an impact yesterday. More often than not, he lost possession easily due to his poor touches. His work rate was also low as he was never seen dropping deep to build up play. Moreover, Alli got into an unnecessary scuffle with Mateo Kovacic in the first half which got him booked.

#3. Son's unnecessary red

Son Heung-Min was awarded his third red card of the season as he was involved in an incident with Antonio Rudiger where he allegedly kicked him on purpose. After a VAR review, Son was sent off for kicking out at Rudiger following a challenge.

From open play, Son fell to the ground as Rudiger won the ball from him. As he fell, he kicked up towards the chest of the Chelsea center-back. The studs made contact and Rudiger fell.

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea FC - Premier League

Now, Rudiger decided to make the most out of that kick. It appeared as if there was minimal contact and to be very frank, Rudiger's reaction was a bit theatrical. However, it is important to note that Son's kick was indeed intentional. It was completely unnecessary and something that could have been avoided. Hence, irrespective of Rudiger's reaction, Son was awarded a red card.

While the issue is up for debate, it is important to note that the red card was issued for Son's conduct and not for the extent of the injury. Knowing Son's humble character, this was probably an instinctive reaction, something that happens in high-profile games like these.