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Chelsea were absolutely ruthless and relentless in attacking the Malmo goal. They put four goals past the Swedish champions to win their second game of the Champions League campaign. The reigning European champions sit second behind Juventus in Group H of Europe's biggest footballing fiesta.
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The centre-back duo of Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen combined to put the hosts ahead in just the ninth minute of the game.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for the home supporters after the 20 minute mark. Romelu Lukaku won a penalty, which was converted by spot-kick specialist Jorginho. But the Belgian ended up picking up a knock to be replaced by Kai Havertz prematurely.
With Malmo failing to keep up with the pressure at the Bridge, Chelsea added their third with a quick counter-attack. It was led by Callum Hudson-Odoi, who timed his pass to perfection and slid in a pass to Kai Havertz. The German then chipped the ball past the Malmo stopper.
Heroics by Antonio Rudiger in the second half also led to another penalty for Chelsea. Jorginho did not falter yet again to make it 4-0 for the Champions of Europe.
The game resulted in Chelsea's second Champions League win of the season. It was Malmo's sixth consecutive loss in Europe, with a tally of 28 goals conceded in the process.
Without much ado, let's dive straight into the top five talking points of the game.
#1 Defenders dominate yet again at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's versatility on the goal-scorers' sheet continued. Andreas Christensen became their 14th different player to score a goal this season, in England or otherwise. It was the Dane's first goal for Chelsea despite making 137 appearances for the London-based club.
Not only that, but Christensen's goal was also assisted by another Chelsea defender, Thiago Silva. The Brazilian's cross was perfectly met by his centre-back colleague to make it 1-0 for the Blues.
The Champions of Europe have had great quality in the squad when it comes to scoring goals through so many different positions on the pitch. In today's Chelsea team, Mason Mount was the only player alongside goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to not have opened his account this season. All the remaining nine players have had a goal to their name in the three competitions that Chelsea have played in, so far.
The third and remaining defender on the Chelsea team-sheet, Antonio Rudiger didn't shy away from action either. He made an excellent run to dispossess Eric Larsson and win a penalty in the second half.
Speaking to ChelseaTV earlier last week, head coach Thomas Tuchel mentioned how he was indifferent to the Ballon d'Or shortlist. The German manager had specified how the entire squad deserved applause for the collective effort that they had shown since his arrival. Tuchel's words surely came true as he saw his 14th player getting on the score-board on the night.
#2 Blues lose attacking duo to fatigue-induced injuries
Thomas Tuchel will be ruing his decision not to rest his new summer signing Romelu Lukaku for the game against Malmo on Wednesday night. The Belgian has played a total of 43 games since the beginning of the previous season without a rest. He was taken out by Malmo defender Lasse Nielsen to concede a penalty in the 19th minute.
The injury came in response to a tackle made by an opposition player. But many fans were quick to react on social media about how a serious injury could be brutal for Lukaku's goal-scoring form. This, especially with a number of easy games upcoming for the Premier League side.
It wasn't long before the hosts lost another forward to a cramp, as Timo Werner was seen in some discomfort following a Chelsea attack. He immediately signaled to the dugout for a substitution to be made.
Since Lukaku's arrival, Werner has switched to the wing to accommodate the German-Belgian duo together in Tuchel's system. He has hardly missed a game for the Blues.
Chelsea's goals have come from all areas of the pitch since Tuchel's arrival, though. So, Lukaku's absence might not be a season-impacting blow for the title-challengers.
#3 Rain and goals pour in London as Chelsea break their low-scoring hoodoo
It wasn't just the rain that poured over Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. Chelsea were absolutely ruthless in their goal-scoring and did not hold back. They finally broke their low goal-scoring pattern in their second Champions League win of the 2021-22 season.
Thomas Tuchel's camp has been criticized by a set of pundits for his strategy of closing down the game once the Blues take the lead in the game. This has led to over 75% of Chelsea games since January, ending in two or fewer goals at the end of the 90 minutes.
With the club breaking their bank to sign Romelu Lukaku in the summer though, Tuchel's approach to winning might have changed a bit. Chelsea are finally looking like a side which wants to attack the opposition goal even after the team is up by three or four goals.
The club have been unlucky not to add past a couple of goals in the Premier League. But this European game came in as a perfect deal-breaker in midweek.
#4 Malmo play into the famous Chelsea trap of inviting pressure and hitting on the counter
An often talked about feature of Tuchel's Chelsea has been their ability to draw the opposition into their own half. Then they switch the play very quickly to hit them on the counter. This tactical nuance in fact resulted in Chelsea outclassing Manchester City in the Champions League final earlier this summer.
But Malmo did not seem to have done their homework before their visit to the blue half of London.
The Swedish champions took the game by the horns and pressed way higher up the pitch, leaving a lot of space for Chelsea to exploit. The visitors were also guilty of losing the ball in crucial areas. This directly triggered a Chelsea counter-attack and ended up as a shot-creating action.
Pundits would agree that the strategy of John Dahl Tomasson was a clear mistake. Chelsea usually play really well against teams who leave a lot of space behind and press them a lot. Since the Maurizio Sarri era, the Chelsea camp has adapted to playing from the back really well. There is hardly any side who is better at it, in Europe, than the Blues.
#5 A blessing in disguise for Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi?
It took some time through the second half, but the duo of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Kai Havertz were quick to leave their mark on the game. They combined for Chelsea's third goal of the game. This came after both attacking players had come on for Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner respectively in the first half.
Lukaku and Werner are expected to be rested against Norwich at the weekend. This might just be an opportunity for the young Englishman and the prodigal German needed to impress Thomas Tuchel. 20th-placed Norwich might just be the playground for Hudson-Odoi and Havertz to bag some goals and assists and make their case stronger.
Arguments are also being raised around Mason Mount's abysmal performance with zero goal-involvement. Nevertheless, Chelsea's huge squad depth was on-show too on Wednesday night. Saul Niguez, Reece James and Marcos Alonso came on later in the second half and had a great game too.
Chelsea welcome the Canaries from Norwich at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in an early kick-off. They aim to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table and also improve upon their goal difference. That could be pivotal if the league goes right down the wire.
