The necessity to break down Spurs drove Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to substitute N'Golo Kante for Mason Mount in the second half, according to Tuchel.
Kante scored in Chelsea's 3-0 triumph on Sunday after the substitution galvanised them into action.
Chelsea had failed to break through Spurs' heavy press, and Mount could have passed to Kai Havertz, who was in space on the left flank, at one point. Instead, he tried to set up Romelu Lukaku for a goal, but his ball was wayward.
“It was a difficult choice for Mason Mount, and it was a bit more defensive from N'Golo Kante, but I wanted to offer energy,” Tuchel later explained.
“I wasn't ready to talk about the nooks and crannies. It was all about duels and second balls. It was all about gaining confidence through increased energy and ball wins, as well as a higher work rate. That was, in a sense, the start of the conversation.”
