Hudson-Odoi and a dribble down memory lane for Chelsea

Did Callum Hudson-Odoi experience a lightbulb moment against Spurs? After two seasons of stuttering form, it would pay dividends for Chelsea if Hudson-Odoi remembered who he is and what he’s for…

“You’re looking for some energy, you’re looking for a burst of pace to go past the defender and it never happened.”

Alan Shearer said it, but we’ve all thought it watching Callum Hudson-Odoi. With puffed-out cheeks and limbs akimbo, he moves a few yards towards a defender, feints to beat him down the outside, turns out and passes it backwards. It’s infuriating.

It’s a problem for Chelsea in general: this unwillingness to beat a man in the final third. The first port of call is to probe with passes into Romelu Lukaku’s feet or in wide areas in the hope of overloads with wing-backs and roaming attacking midfielders. They switch play quickly to move defenders across the pitch and open up gaps to pass the ball in behind. It does and has worked, but far less frequently without wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James.

Liverpool and Manchester City do the same, but for all the possession, accurate passing and movement off the ball, there’s nothing like having players who can beat an opponent with the ball at their feet to strike fear, open up space, overburden opposition defenders and create chances. Liverpool and City have that threat in abundance.

Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota: all players capable of dropping a shoulder and beating their man. Hudson-Odoi, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz: also players capable of dropping a shoulder and beating their man. But while the Liverpool and City forwards do drop the