Tim Sherwood insists Chelsea team missed Mason Mount and also believes the Blues looked far more threatening after Thomas Tuchel’s introduction of Mason Mount in the second half in the 3-1 win over Southampton.
Chelsea should have been up by more goals at half-time given the number of chances they had in the first half. At the start of the second half, however, Southampton changed their shape into a back five which initially proved troublesome for the hosts.
Not only Chelsea found it difficult to break down Southampton’s deeper defensive line, but they also conceded the equaliser from Ben Chilwell’s penalty foul.
Tuchel eventually decided to unleash Mount, as well as Jorginho and Ross Barkley, and practically reshaped his whole midfield.
Chelsea had to wait until very late before retaking the lead, but according to Sherwood, Mount’s presence helped Chelsea really step up offensively.
Sherwood told Premier League Productions (via Optus Sport) after the game:
“Mason Mount is a huge player for them. When he came on to the pitch today, he changed it — everything changed. He looked to play progressively forward, and he would look for [Romelu] Lukaku.
“When he was fit in the early part of the season, Lukaku was scoring. A few games out and I think they missed him.
“They’ve missed [Christian] Pulisic [as well] and they need to get him back, because [Hakim] Ziyech and [Kai] Havertz just haven’t done it.”
As Sherwood highlighted, however, Ziyech and Havertz’s underwhelming form means Tuchel might have to rely on Mount more than ever.
