ELLAND ROAD — It has not been a vintage month for the footballing keeperhood. Edouard Mendy’s first touch and muddled thinking that sent Leeds on their way slots nicely alongside David de Gea’s Brentford bungles in the career lowlights reel. Yet that was not the worst of it for Chelsea on a hot afternoon in Leeds.
Indeed Mendy did some of his team-mates a favour. His leaden-footed howler to gift Leeds their opener provided cover for those in front of him who did too little to recover the cock-up. Chelsea spent £140m to rebuild their entire left side. Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella were supposed to signal renewal under Todd Boehly, to light up the post-Roman Abramovic era. Yet each contributed heavily to a performance that made Manchester United look coherent.
Koulibaly, excellent on his home debut against Spurs last week, did not even finish the game, dismissed for a second yellow in the final 10 minutes. Cucurella, Chelsea’s fourth most expensive signing at £60m and ordinarily the most organised and controlled of footballers, has looked ragged for Chelsea and was at fault for two goals.
Sterling simply looks lost. A player desperately seeking to re-establish himself at the most important juncture of his career was unable to gain a foothold in the game. He missed a sharp chance in the opening minutes and had a first-half goal disallowed. Had that stood it might have changed the mood. As it is he has yet to score in three games for Chelsea and was largely a peripheral figure.
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Ratings, reaction and highlights as Harry Kane scores landmark goal in Spurs win over Wolves20 August, 2022Sterling turns 28 in December. At a new club and with a World Cup to come, this should be a great time to be Raheem Sterling. The move from Manchester City was about playing time and being valued. We all need to be loved, right? But few need as much love as a Premier League striker accustomed to power and affirmation.
In a league of fine margins Chelsea bought Sterling to make a difference. He was the first signing of the Boehly era, and at £47.5m would be assessed a bargain were he to rediscover the rhythm that saw him hit the net 31 times in all competitions three seasons ago, 20 times in the Premier League.
He shares 25th spot in the all-time Premier League scoring ledger with 109, the same as Ryan Giggs. The two are not dissimilar in their ability to run at pace with the ball, to operate in tight spaces and to excite the crowd. Where Sterling is better is in front of goal, finding the net every three games, twice the ratio of Giggs. However, in footballing terms at least, it is the memory of Giggs that leaves the greater impression.
Leeds channelled the energy and bite that saw them spring the relegation trap on the final day of last season. Chelsea were bullied off the park. Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo in particular demonstrated the desire and heart as well as the skill to compete. Leeds sit two points off the top of the table. Were it not for the two goals conceded in the final 20 minutes at Southampton, they would be sharing the plaudits at the top of the table with Arsenal in a remake of 1971.
It is a remarkable turnaround from three months ago when the visit to Brentford on the final day of the season was expected to be their Premier League swansong. They won, Burnley lost at home to Newcastle, and the world is a different place. This ought to be a paean to Jesse Marsch for the wondrous regeneration of a great club. Inevitably the focus falls on Chelsea, Champions League winners just two seasons ago, entering a period of genuine uncertainty under Thomas Tuchel with four points from nine.
The player who sealed that unlikely Champions League triumph, Kai Havertz, is a big part of the problem. His performance in Paris was an anomaly. Havertz is pleasing on the eye when given space, but in this company there is no space to be had. It requires aggression and strength to create the room to operate. Havertz has not enough of either quality and is easily marginalised.
Only three players in blue emerged with any credit, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Reece James. All three demonstrated the requisite commitment, bravery and skill to prosper but were surrounded by team-mates who either did not do enough or who were just not good enough.
Chelsea badly missed the injured N’Golo Kante. His replacement Conor Gallagher was unable to impact the game and was hooked. Skipper Jorginho was removed for the second game in succession. That twin substitution constituted the replacement of the core of the starting midfield. Thomas Tuchel bemoaned the failure of his team to score when on top in the opening 20 minutes. Rather he might question why they went missing for the other 70.
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