Chelsea really suffered in the first half of their London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
After goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, it did not take long for Tottenham to go 2-0 up against Chelsea.
Defensively, they were really poor in the first half. Marc Cucurella could not stay on his feet, slipping twice to the benefit of Spurs, while Benoit Badiashile struggled playing on the right side of central defence with his preferred left foot.
It saw Enzo Maresca shake things up at half-time, with Malo Gusto coming on to play at right-back, while Badiashile moved over to the left centre-back position.
Malo Gusto of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024...
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Clinton Morrison praises game-changer Malo Gusto
For former Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison, Gusto’s introduction changed things for Chelsea and helped to fix the problem that Maresca’s team were having on the right flank.
While on commentary duty for the BBC, Morrison said: “Chelsea have been the better team in this second half. They brought on Malo Gusto and he’s made a massive difference on the right.”
Moises Caicedo started the game at right-back. But with the Ecuadorian and Badiashile failing to contain Spurs’ threat on the right flank, Maresca clearly felt that Gusto was needed.
All in all, the Chelsea head coach would have been happy with the improvement that he saw in the second half.
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After the game, Maresca gave special praise to Pedro Neto and Sancho, the latter being the man who got Chelsea back into the match after reducing Spurs’ two-goal lead to one in the 17th minute.
Should Malo Gusto start against Brentford?
Chelsea have another tough London derby against Brentford this weekend. With Reece James still out injured, Gusto is the only natural right-back option currently available.
Caicedo and Axel Disasi have both played there this season, but now it is time for Maresca to bring the 21-year-old back into the side.
Gusto, who signed for Chelsea from Lyon in a £30.7m deal, can give the team width when he is not inverting into midfield and is obviously more mobile compared to a central defender like Disasi.
With Caicedo being one of the best midfielders in the Premier League at present, it is also a waste to have him playing at right-back.
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