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Are Chelsea Premier League contenders? | Weekend Review

Total Soccer Show: USMNT, Champions League, EPL, and more ...52m 42s

The Total Soccer Show Weekend Review covers multiple European leagues with focus on Chelsea's attacking prowess but defensive vulnerabilities, Tottenham's growing pains despite squad improvements, Newcastle's excellent counter-attacking performances, and Como's impressive Serie A form under Cesc Fabregas.

Summary

The episode opens with discussions of Chelsea's 4-3 win over Brighton, where they demonstrated electric attacking play with goals from João Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rodgers, but exposed defensive weaknesses by conceding three goals at home. Graham and Taylor debate whether Chelsea are title contenders, with Graham skeptical due to poor defensive organization and individual errors, though acknowledging progress under Xabi Alonso's blueprint. They note Chelsea played with only 26% possession at home, the lowest in 15 years, and discuss whether this is tactical design or a flaw. The hosts explore how Alonso has cleared out defenders who don't fit his system and brought in ball-playing center-backs, comparing the team's development to Liverpool's pre-Van Dijk struggles.

Tottenham's storyline focuses on their 2-0 home loss to Newcastle despite having superior xG and possession metrics. Ryan and Graham analyze how Tottenham created chances but failed to convert them, with Newcastle punishing them through counter-attacks. They discuss Sandro Tonali's sluggish start and note he's been mischaracterized as a playmaker when he excels at ball recovery and carrying. The consensus is that Tottenham haven't found the right midfield complement to Tonali and are still integrating many new signings including Elliman Ndjai from Everton. Graham expresses concern about the team's inability to handle adversity, as supporters' negativity appears to affect player performance.

Newcastle receives praise for their smart counter-attacking execution, with Nico González making an excellent debut cross that led to Alanga's goal, and João Wisser conducting counters effectively. Graham highlights Yasla's coaching impact through detailed attacking instructions and personalized player management, noting Newcastle's improved recruitment and tactical setup have exceeded expectations after a concerning transfer window.

Serie A coverage includes Inter Milan, Juventus, and AC Milan all winning, but the focus shifts to Como's 2-1 victory at Napoli, where they demonstrated exceptional control despite fielding a younger squad. Taylor argues Como may be closest to Inter Milan in Serie A strength, praising their smart recruitment model of buying undervalued young players and selling them for significant profits. Graham highlights Duvakas's hold-up play and first touch, noting Como will face depth challenges with Champions League football but appear well-drilled under Fabregas's management.

Other Premier League results mentioned include Man United's 5-2 comeback win over Ipswich, Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest (covered in detail on the bonus feed), and Hull's continued unbeaten run. La Liga coverage notes Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Malaga with Jude Bellingham continuing strong form, while Bundesliga highlights include surprising Elversburg's 3-2 win over Leverkusen and Bayern's dominant 5-1 victory over Stuttgart.

About this episode

<p>The TSS Gang is here to look back on a big weekend of soccer, in which a chaotic Chelsea impressed us, Tottenham couldn't get a result against Newcastle, Como looked terrific against Napoli, and much more!</p><br /><p><strong>JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/totalsoccershow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check out our Patreon</a>, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, videos, The TSS Scouting Network, and much more.</p><br /><p><strong>WATCH TSS EPISODES ON YOUTUBE!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Total-Soccer-Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>! Smash like and subscribe etc.!</p><br /><p><strong>TSS SCOTLAND TRIP!</strong></p><p>Want to come along with the TSS crew to a once-in-a-lifetime soccer trip to Scotland? <a href="https://www.earthlydelights.club/tss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Register your interest here</a>!</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Key Insights

  • Chelsea's 26% possession at home to Brighton represents their lowest possession share in any Premier League match for 15 years, suggesting either tactical design for counter-attacking or structural issues that need addressing
  • Sandro Tonali has been mischaracterized as a possession-dictating playmaker when his strengths actually lie in ball recovery and carrying, requiring specific midfield partners like Bruno Guimarães to compensate for his weaknesses
  • Tottenham's ability to handle adversity appears directly connected to supporter morale at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as negativity from the crowd seems to transfer to player performance during difficult moments
  • Newcastle's recruitment of Nico González from Manchester City represents a smart addition as a deep-lying quarterback capable of executing 60-70 yard diagonal passes to unlock counter-attacks
  • Como's business model involves buying undervalued young players for relatively low fees and seeing their market value increase dramatically during their tenure, creating a sustainable cycle of value creation and strategic sales
  • Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen blueprint transfers successfully to Chelsea through systematic squad overhaul, removing players like Garnacho and Liam Delap who didn't fit the system while recruiting compatible replacements
  • Élversburg's 9,000-capacity stadium in a town of 13,000 people means approximately three-quarters of the local population could attend matches, creating unique logistical circumstances for a club competing in the Bundesliga
  • Rio Vallecano's match against Barcelona on Monday evening represents a scheduling pattern where Barcelona's games are often broadcast separately, allowing flexibility in weekend coverage planning

Topics

Premier League - Chelsea's defensive vulnerabilities vs attacking prowessPremier League - Tottenham's integration of new signings and mental resiliencePremier League - Newcastle's counter-attacking excellence under new managerSerie A - Como's recruitment model and title contention potentialTactical analysis - Formation systems and player positioningTransfer market - Squad building and player valuationsManager performance - Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi, Cesc Fabregas evaluations

Transcript

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