Jamie Carragher is fed up of the theatrics on show in Premier League football nowadays, and one Chelsea player in particular got on his nerves during the win over Tottenham.
Chelsea have bounced back well under interim boss Calum McFarlane, securing an impressive win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
Reverting to a traditional four-back system, the Blues looked sharp and structured despite making four sweeping changes from their FA Cup final defeat. The defensive line of Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, and Marc Cucurella provided a solid foundation, allowing the midfield to assert control.
The shape actually allowed Cole Palmer to control things centrally in what was a highly encouraging performance that will certainly give the watching Xabi Alonso plenty of positive food for thought.
However, Jamie Carragher saw something that he didn’t like.
Cole Palmer – back to his best?
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Will we see more of this under Xabi Alonso?
Jamie Carragher didn’t like Moises Caicedo’s antics
Speaking on live commentary on Sky Sports for the Chelsea vs Tottenham clash, Jamie Carragher used Alexis Mac Allister, as well as Moises Caicedo as examples of cheating in football.
It came after the Chelsea man was struck in the middle of the pitch and perhaps made slightly more of it than he needed to, but it wasn’t anything out of the oridnary.
“I mentioned this about Mac Allister at Liverpool a few weeks ago. And we’ve seen it a lot in this game with Porro, we’ve seen it with Cucurella.
“I actually thought there was a challenge on Caicedo from Van de Ven where he made a big meal of it. Seeing it is just a real eye-opener.
“The number of cheats and players going down when there’s nothing wrong with them is a joke in the Premier League. Just touches him (Caicedo) in his face and he goes down, absolutely nothing wrong with him.”
What formation do you want to see Xabi Alonso deploy at Chelsea?👀
Feeling a 4-2-3-1!
Which formation should Chelsea use under Xabi Alonso
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
A solution for the constant diving
Premier League referees need to let the game flow naturally rather than penalising every minor contact.
The current culture of diving and simulation stems directly from officiating that consistently rewards the smallest touches with a whistle. When players realise that honest attempts to stay on their feet result in a disadvantage, they are effectively incentivised to go to ground to win fouls.
By raising the threshold for what constitutes an actual infringement, referees can discourage simulation, punish soft simulation, and restore the high-intensity, physical flow that defines English football.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox