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Tottenham: Spurs keys to topping Chelsea in Premier League clash

By Aaron Coe

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Timo Werner of Chelsea and Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham Hotspur during the Pre Season Friendly between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 4, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Timo Werner of Chelsea and Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham Hotspur during the Pre Season Friendly between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 4, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham opponent Romelu Lukaku
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League group H match between Chelsea FC and Zenit St. Petersburg at Stamford Bridge on September 14, 2021, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /

Tottenham need to man-mark Lukaku and Kovacic

In basketball when teams have a player or two who are just difficult to stop, sometimes the answer is a gimmick defence like the triangle and two or the box and one. The two and the one in each alignment play man-to-man defence against their counterparts, while the rest of the team plays either the triangle or box zone.

Given Tottenham are not at full strength, they are going to have to get creative in defending Chelsea, and looking to stop the Blues’ two most influential players may be the best way. Mateo Kovacic and Romelolu Lukaku have been the real driving force behind Chelsea this season.

Yes, Marcos Alonzo and Reece James are playing really well too but it is Kovacic who is most often fizzing the ball wide to the two men to get it back into the box for service. Likewise, while both Mount and Havertz have been playing well, it is a lot easier for them to play off of the talents of Lukaku and his hold-up game.

What Spurs fans saw Tanguy Ndombele do in terms of holding the ball against Rennes on Thursday is what Lukaku does regularly, against any defender in the world, not much more than 20 yards from goal.

Kovacic likes to dribble out of the back and look for long balls. He hit Lukaku with a beauty in the win over Aston Villa for the Blues’ opening goal. Alternatively, Kovacic was dispossessed trying to dribble out deep in possession once and Villa almost scored as a result. Having a player keeping extra tabs on Kovacic to prevent his good outlet passes and ideally create an opportune turnover benefits the team.

With a player like Lukaku, you have to try to keep him from getting the ball. If Romelo gets the ball anywhere within 30 yards of the goal, he is a treat to score, especially with his left foot. His pace makes defending him close difficult but Davinson Sanchez should be up to the challenge following his layoff in Croatia.

If you can consistently deny Lukaku the ball and work to limit his touches, he can get frustrated and taken out of his game. His current form is such that your best bet is to not let him get a sniff. Given Spurs are not going to dominate possession, denying Lukaku the ball and opportunities may be the best approach.