For Chelsea in 2022, things have rarely been this cozy at Stamford Bridge. It seemed almost unnatural to see two straight 3-0 victories with no tension entering the last 20 minutes. It shouldn't be this easy, though.
A frantic VAR decision or a perplexing individual blunder that allowed an opponent who appeared to be illiterate to reenter a game that should have been over was what you were expecting to happen. Exactly the same thing occurred in May when Wolves were behind 2-0 in the second half; however, this time, there would be no reprieve.
Five minutes in the second half, when Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic glided over Wolves defenders to orchestrate an exquisite second, undoubtedly best captured the contest's ease. Diego Costa enjoyed a true lap of honor prior to the returning hero, almost as if it were his own testimonial.
Graham Potter could not have wished for a more positive change in the atmosphere at his new team. After a very tumultuous year, a team that required recalibrating and rehabilitation appeared motivated and expressive in their play.
In the last third, which has been the hardest to master in prior seasons, a lot of the best work is happening.
The simplest way to say it is that Chelsea appear to be producing more opportunities of greater quality, increasing their likelihood of error, or at the very least, taking more risks. Just a quick glance at Potter's first four games reveals an improvement when examining Expected Goals (xG), which determines the caliber of opportunities a team generates.
Chelsea averaged 1.14 using Wyscout's expected goals model during the last five games played under Tuchel. The average has increased to 2.1 in the first five games under Potter.
Chelsea is also steadily increasing the number of shots they take, from as little as six against West Ham and Leicester in August to over 10 per game so far under Potter.
On Saturday, Chelsea took 13 shots in the opening 45 minutes, 11 of which were from within the penalty box. Cesar Azpilicueta's hard and excellent effort down the right, where he frequently provided his peers who were waiting in the center with effective cutbacks, greatly assisted in this.
Pep Guardiola has made the topic of budget cuts trendy in the Premier League. Manchester City's goals have frequently come from their consistent ability to create overloads out wide, prior to a cutback into the six-yard box, even before the huge effect of Erling Haaland.
A talented coach and game-changing players undoubtedly contribute to City's strong offense, but they also consistently provide high-caliber opportunities inside the opponent box. This may seem like Michael Owen's punditry, but Chelsea has consistently fallen short of doing this in order to outclass weaker opposition.
Because they are moving bodies forward, Chelsea are already seeming more dangerous around the opposing box. On Saturday, that space was routinely covered by Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic, making it more difficult for a lone attacker to be quickly squeezed out by a Wolves back-five.
Potter may have also noticed that Wolves like to attempt to construct their attacks from a deeper position, giving up a little of their possession in order to push their backline and cause them to make repeated errors high up the pitch.
The fact that Azpilicueta delivered such a strong performance from the wing-back position, where his lack of creativity on the ball has occasionally hurt him in comparison to Reece James, is perhaps his greatest praise given his waning form this season. In the first half, the club captain made more contact with the defense than the entire Wolves team.
It was also an early example of Potter's ability to dramatically change up the lineup of the club while still maintaining the caliber of play witnessed a few days prior against AC Milan.
Potter emphasized, "We can't win with just eleven players." "I don't think it's proper to just play the same eleven until they get hurt or fall over, at which point we play the next group of players. That is not helpful for the dynamics of the group. However, I am aware that if we lose today, you will ask me why I didn't play Aubameyang. That is just the how things are.
"But someone needs to take it as long as the justification is present and I am aware of the rationale for our choice. It worked extremely well today, and the players deserve praise for their strong sense of camaraderie and support for one another. Everyone needs to understand that we need more than simply eleven to complete the task."
In light of Wolves' complete lack of results thus far this season and their instability following Lage's dismissal, this was hardly a result that will define this season. Stricter tests are coming. But to fully discount the advancements made thus far under a new coach would be cavalier given Chelsea's historical shortcomings at home against inferior competition.
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