Chelsea struggled to create clear chances in our 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Saturday but that isn’t the major reason why Chelsea lost to West Ham.
The game against West Ham was a London derby but Chelsea failed to treat it as one.
Chelsea lacked aggression against West Ham and were too soft when off the ball. This was the major reason for the loss to West Ham.
The Blues failed to commit a single foul against West Ham, just the second time this is happening in Premier League history since 2003/04.
Chelsea’s failure to commit fouls meant we were unable to disrupt West Ham’s attack. Time and time again, West Ham disrupted our attack by committing a foul but we failed to do the same.
Committing tactical fouls is important in football as it helps disrupt the opposition’s attack and allows you get into shape.
Tactical foul is one important tool even the best teams in the league employ. Manchester City were accused of committing too many tactical fouls in their 5-0 victory over West Ham earlier this season. Those fouls helped Manchester City disrupt West Ham’s counterattacks and get into shape.
Our failure to be aggressive is the key reason why we lost to West Ham.