Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Raheem Sterling was the only Chelsea attacker who really tried in Sunday’s 2-0 away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The visitors had 10 shot attempts throughout 90 minutes in this game. That is two more than Spurs’ eight attempts.
However, this does not tell the whole story.
Spurs created the better chances and were unlucky to hit the post in the first half.
So, it is no surprise that they managed to score twice, while Chelsea extend their goalless streak to three games.
Like Paul Robinson, Hasselbaink believes Thiago Silva’s injury had a big impact on Chelsea’s performance.
However, he was also disappointed by the lack of effort from Chelsea’s attacking line, except for Sterling.
“For me, after Thiago left the pitch, the level of Chelsea dropped,” said the former Blues striker during Sky Sports’ post-match coverage.
“They started the game ever so well, but then he went off and it went a little bit chaotic.
“Spurs were more aggressive in the duels than Chelsea and you can’t have that, especially not in a derby.
“Chelsea didn’t create at all. The only one who really tried was Sterling, but it didn’t come off for him. It’s a worrying time for Chelsea at the moment.”
Compared to the other three starting forwards, Sterling had a busier afternoon.
He had seven take-on attempts, which only three were successful, but he at least tried.
Joao Felix and Hakim Ziyech, on the other hand, had very minimal impact.
Both struggled to win duels — won a combined six from 23 duels, and the lack of space in Spurs’ low defensive line did not help.
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