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Norwich City 0-0 Chelsea: Three talking points from Carrow Road
Chelsea will have to rely on a replay after failing to beat Norwich City at Carrow Road. It was a very poor performance from a much-changed Premier League side and they will have to be a lot better if they are to qualify for the fourth round. Despite the changes, the team was filled with internationals and they should have had enough to beat their Championship opposition. Antonio Conte forced himself into a corner as he had Alvaro Morata on the bench alongside a selection of young talent.
The home side may regret their poor final product in this match, as they did have chances against an unconvincing Chelsea defence. Josh Murphy cause problems with his pace, while James Maddison and Alex Pritchard showed why they are highly-rated in the second tier. The replay at Stamford Bridge will be a good occasion for the club and serve as a reminder of their aim to return to the top-flight. Here are three talking points from Carrow Road:
David Luiz doesn’t look like he wants to be at Chelsea
The centre-back returned back to the club last summer and received a great reaction from the supporters when the singing was announced. He has always had a good relationship with them since his first spell with the club and there was hope that Antonio Conte would bring the best out of him.
Last season, the Brazilian was central to the team’s title win and he looked like he was finally calming down, but the mood has switched this season. There appears to have been a breakdown in trust between the manager and the player, which was shown in this match. David Luiz lost focus on a few occasions and made mistakes that nearly led to goals.
He also received a needless booking for an overzealous challenge. If he was wanting to play himself back into Conte’s plans, he went about it in the wrong way. The Chelsea boss will want to sell him during this window if he can.
Angus Gunn is a huge talent
The Norwich City goalkeeper delivered an assured performance against Chelsea and will be delighted with the clean sheet. He has been one of the better goalkeepers in the Championship this season and this display brought him to the attention of the wider British footballing public. The Canaries won’t want to lose him for a long time, but it is obvious that he has the potential to play at a higher level.
During the match, he made an impressive seven saves to ensure his side earned a replay. Although Chelsea didn’t play well, the goalkeeper was still required on several occasions and everything he was asked to do was completed with style. Gunn showed good control of his area and regularly came off his line to relieve pressure on his team-mates. This is the mark of a confident goalkeeper and he will have gained a lot from this cup tie.
His distribution wasn’t as effective as the rest of his game, but he is only 21 and he has time to develop that side of his game. It would be unfair to be overly critical of it as he was asked to play long balls to try and release the pace that Norwich had in attack. There were a few very good performances from the home side, but Gunn’s was the pick of the bunch.
Chelsea are reliant on a few individuals
It wasn’t the right that was worrying for Antonio Conte, but the complete lack of ideas from those on the pitch. Willian showed good endeavour and tried to make things happen, but there was nobody else capable of supporting him. As the game developed, it was obvious that the Blues were missing Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and N’Golo Kante. Without those three players, this team looked very ordinary.
Tieumoue Bakayoko was a particular disappointment as he continued his tough start in a Chelsea shirt. The midfielder was viewed as a replacement for Nemanja Matic, but he has yet to convince supporters that he is good enough to be a starter for the club. He dithered on the ball and was regularly caught on it by the alert Norwich players.
The next month is going to be crucial for Chelsea, as it is clear this squad needs an injection of quality. Ross Barkley has already arrived and he will be able to add something different to the squad, as he can create from deep. It could be that he is viewed as another option in the centre of the park to partner N’Golo Kante. Given time, he could develop into a very good player for the Blues, but further additions are needed.