It’s fair to say that Chelsea’s “Octagon” formation didn’t exactly work during Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to Southampton.
Raheem Sterling’s third goal in two games helped the Blues win 1-0 at St Mary’s.
Romeo Lavia, a Β£10.5 million summer transfer and former Manchester City youth player, leveled the score a few minutes later with a beautiful strike from the edge of the box.
On the cusp of halftime, Adam Armstrong completed Saints’ comeback, and Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team hung on for a significant victory that moved them to seventh in the standings.
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered its second defeat of the season. And a screenshot of their setup in the 83rd minute may help to clarify why they suffered their second straight away defeat.
No one was occupying the No. 10 position or slipping between the lines, giving the impression that Chelsea was using a “Octagon” system.
Due to Chelsea’s lack of an offensive focal point, Southampton was quite at ease and let their opponents have the ball without making a threat.
Todd Boehly, the club’s new owner, has spent a lot of money on a number of new acquisitions this summer, yet Chelsea still appears to be in some disarray.
Furthermore, Tuchel’s post-game remarks regarding the defeat were somewhat harsh.
Clearly, we lack the grit necessary to prevail in these away games. In a press conference, Tuchel said, “It’s the same as Leeds away.
“It is too simple to overpower, confound, and throw us off balance. It is too simple. We must identify the causes and come up with answers.
“It is too simple to beat us,” the speaker said. “We lose focus, we forget our plan, and we lose consistency.”
The two-time Champions League champions will be eager to avenge their loss to West Ham on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
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