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Five things Tuchel got wrong in humiliating 3-0 defeat to Leeds United.

 

Chelsea lost in the most shocking manner at Elland road, with goalkeeping errors and a red card to Koulibaly, denying the Blues of all three points. 

A fiery encounter was played at an exhilarating pace, and that ultimately led to the opening goal as Chelsea goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy was caught napping, and gifted Brenden Aaronson an easy chance after 32 minutes. Shortly after, Leeds doubled their lead as Rodrigo headed in from Aaronson's free-kick, to blow the roof off Elland Road.

Chelsea were second best all game, and things got even worse as Jack Harrison bundled in a third with 20 minutes to go, and Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off after two sloppy challenges. 

Losses of course show a team's weaknesses, just as wins highlight their strengths. We'll take a look at how and where Tuchel got it all wrong in today's game. 

1. Playing Mendy: 

No one had seen it coming, but statistics at Pre-season and in the past games show that Edouard Mendy has not that been solid as before. 

Kepa Arrizabalaga, sometimes should be given the chance to start in some games. Last season, it took Chelsea 13 Premier League games to concede five goals.

After just three games this season, Chelsea have already conceded five. Two last weekend and three today.

It's the perfect time to give Kepa a chance. 

2. Underrating Leeds United 

Following Chelsea's excellent display against Tottenham last week, no doubt, one would expect a walk-over win for the Blues against Leeds United. It was not the case. 

Leeds were up for a battle from the first whistle, and Chelsea looked a little shell-shocked as they underestimated their approach. New signing Koulibaly was tormented by Aaronson in the first half, and was even sent off in the second as he failed to deal with the pace.

But their arrogance came to bite them after 32 minutes, as goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy thought he had bags of time with the ball, but was left feeling blue by Aaronson. The American closed him down, took the ball off him and passed the ball into an empty net as Chelsea were embarrassed.

They went 2-0 down shortly after, as a frustrated Raheem Sterling gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area, and Rodrigo leapt highest to nod Leeds into a commanding lead. Leeds aren't the same side that looked like going down last season, and they even managed to add a third late on, and in doing so they've sent a major statement to the rest of the league.

3.  Sticking with Kai Havertz: 

Kai Havertz has been heavily relied on in the absence of Romelu Lukaku, and the departure of Timo Werner has only added to the pressure placed on his shoulders. But the German is struggling for form, and has only scored one goal in his last 12 Chelsea appearances, as his eye for goal has gone missing.

The 23-year-old still has so much ahead of him, and his form is by no means a reflection of his ability. But Tuchel may see a benefit of taking him out of the side, as it could be doing more harm than good.

The likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic were named on the bench with Havertz favoured, but shaking things up may be needed to benefit all parties. Of course, it's not all about goals for Havertz, but his form has definitely taken a dive.

4. Not playing James out 'wide' 

Tuchel stuck with Ruben Loftus-Cheek as his right wing-back against Leeds, and instead opted to start Reece James as an inside centre-back. We know Tuchel's system by now, but this wasn't the right move against a narrow Leeds side.

Chelsea had the best chances in the opening stages, and a lot of their success was coming out wide. But the dangerous James was not in a position to help the Blues, and they were left to pay for being wasteful later on in the half.

Tuchel switched things about at half-time, and James returned to his more natural, wider role. He instantly looked more comfortable and Chelsea improved slightly, but it was too late by this point, and they even managed to concede again when pushing for a way back into the game.

5. Disastrous Midfield:

Chelsea were handed a blow in their preparations for Leeds, as N'Golo Kante was ruled out with a thigh injury. But this gave Tuchel an opportunity to finally reward Conor Gallagher with a start, after only playing for seven minutes this season.

It was a welcome sight for Chelsea fans, who had been waiting to see him in action for some time, but Gallagher didn't have a great time in the first half. In a midfield duo with Jorginho the Blues really struggled, and Gallagher was thrown into the deep end against a driven Leeds side, with the Englishman still adjusting to life in the Chelsea side.

Tuchel moved Loftus-Cheek into the middle to create a midfield trio for the second half, and it alleviated some of the pressure, but both starting midfielders were subbed on 63 minutes as the Chelsea boss looked to atone for his error. Chelsea lacked control in the centre of the park, and it cost them.

No doubt Chelsea still have a lot more work to do in rebuilding the team this transfer window. 
A good striking option is still needed to solidify Chelsea's attack. 
The Midfield option is not left out as well. The Blues need an experienced, versatile midfielder to fill in for N'Golo Kanté in times like this. 

You either win or learn. And in this case, the Blues must have learnt a lot. 

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