Chelsea walked out of Stamford Bridge on Sunday knowing they could have done a bit more after their 0-0 stalemate with Everton.
The Blues huffed and puffed in the second half, but their first was not the best. Chelsea failed to trouble the Everton goal as much in the opening minutes and instead ceded possession to their opponents dangerously in the defensive third at times.
Except for Marcos Alonso’s quick volley that gave Jordan Pickford a tougher task than usual, the Premier League giants failed to muster any other shot on target. Their gameplay became predictable as the first half wore on, until after the break.
Maurizio Sarri, who is now the manager with the most games without a defeat in his first season, admits his side could do with more attacking threat in the opening stages of matches. He maintains he is unaware of why his side start their games poorly:
“I didn’t like the first 25 minutes, we moved the ball too slowly, it was too easy for them to defend. Then I think we have played a very good match in the first part of the second half, for 40 minutes. We were a bit unlucky. I think we are in the right way.
I don’t know [why Chelsea start slowly], it’s difficult to answer. I don’t think it is a physical problem, in the second half we played at another speed, intensity, so I don’t think it is physical, maybe mental. We have some difficulties to approach from a mental point of view.”
Maurizio Sarri, Goal
