“That was the idea” –Reason for Chelsea's formation change against Southampton is outlined by Thomas Tuchel
As reported by Football London, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel explained his reasoning behind the new formation but claimed that the outcome was more due to a shift in mentality among the players.
Chelsea defeated Southampton 6-0 in the Premier League today, with braces from Mason Mount and Timo Werner, as well as goals from Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz, seeing the Blues through and strengthening their bid for a top-four spot.
The Saints' annihilation comes after two disappointing losses to Real Madrid and Brentford, and this performance would provide a morale boost for the Blues. Today, both the defense and the offense upped their game, and the results were visible to all.
One thing that was noticeable in the Chelsea team today was a slight change in formation, with two strikers and one ten instead of Tuchel's usual one striker and two tens formation. It worked wonders, as Mason Mount and Timo Werner both scored braces.
Tuchel revealed the reason for his formation change, but claimed that the outcome had less to do with the reason.
“We expected a 4-4-2 and both number sixes to press high. So we wanted to pin the defenders with two strikers and find Mason in a bit of an open position between the lines. Wanted to have three midfielders against their two midfielders and have an ideal position for Kai and Timo. It’s about how we played, how committed we played, and with what quality we played. It was a different mindset today.”