Anthony Gordon has pulled back the curtain on Newcastle’s winning blueprint at Stamford Bridge, admitting the Magpies specifically targeted Chelsea’s tactical flaw.
Another game goes by that has thrown up more questions than answers, with Liam Rosenior still yet to find a defensive solution after 17 games in charge of Chelsea.
That is three games in a row that Chelsea have conceded the first goal, constantly chasing the game.
Malo Gusto was one of the first to question the tactics against PSG last time out, but the Newcastle slip-up was more about a defensive lapse.
And now even the opposition players are starting to notice flaws in Chelsea’s game, with Anthony Gordon admitting to taking advantage of it at Stamford Bridge.
The pressure is building on Liam Rosenior 😬
Where does he go from here?
Anthony Gordon exposes Chelsea’s tactical issue vs Newcastle
Speaking to the Premier League after the game, Anthony Gordon spotted the fact that Chelsea were going man for man.
“Hard work. Such an intense game, I still can’t breathe! Just everyone, the blocks in the box, defend the crosses, everything we want to be as a team. Everything we’ve always been.
“We knew they’d have a lot of possession, they’ve got so many good players. They pin teams in quite well. It’s just about being patient and when we got our chance, taking it.
“They were playing man-for-man, so we knew we could get behind them, but it did seem very open. When I saw Joe running through, I was just hoping he’d lift his head up and see me and he did.”
The man for man marking has already been a topic of conversation, with John Obi Mikel bringing it up after the late draw with Burnley.
Chelsea player ratings vs Newcastle United 🤕
Thoughts?
How Liam Rosenior can fix Chelsea’s issues
To fix Chelsea’s defensive instability, Liam Rosenior must prioritise structural balance over his current obsession with aggressive, man-for-man pressing. While his system aims to suffocate opponents, it has left the backline dangerously exposed, as evidenced by Anthony Gordon’s winner for Newcastle.
Rosenior needs to transition toward a more cohesive zonal mid-block that protects the centre recently exploited by PSG and the Magpies.
Eradicating the recurring marking assignments errors is also critical; Chelsea have repeatedly dropped points, including against Burnley and Newcastle, due to individual lapses during transitions.
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