Édouard Mendy keeps Leeds at bay to extend Chelsea's unbeaten run

13-Mar-2021 14:41:39 | The Guardian

Thomas Tuchel was hired for his winning habit more than his drawing tendency but, a dozen games into his reign, the German has already overseen stalemates in January, February and March. The term feels inappropriate in this case, however: goalless draws are rarely this vibrant. If Tuchel’s preference for control came up against Marcelo Bielsa’s chaos theory, the scoreline would suggest the Chelsea manager imposed his style of play. The drama told another tale.

He needed the woodwork to preserve his unbeaten record – indeed Leeds hit the frame of the goal at either end – while both goalkeepers made fine saves and a total of 22 shots was evidence of attacking intent. Tuchel conducted a running argument with Leeds’ voluble director of football, Victor Orta, and continued his experiments with his new charges.