Two reasons why Chelsea should switch to a 3-5-2 formation

Chelsea will take on West Ham United in a Premier League match at the London Stadium on Sunday, August 20. The Blues are fresh from their 1-1 draw with Liverpool in their first competitive match under Mauricio Pochettino and will like to earn their first win of the season over West Ham.

Chelsea played with a 3-4-3 formation against Liverpool. However, with new signings Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia likely to strengthen their team further. In this article, we will take a look at two reasons why Chelsea should play a 3-5-2 more often this season:

#1. To take advantage of a strengthened midfield:

The Blues played with Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez in central midfield against Liverpool, with the latter playing in a slightly advanced role in the second half. However, with the entry of Caicedo and Lavia, Gallagher might be in danger of losing his place in the team, starting with the match against West Ham.

Pochettino will be tempted to field both of his new signings. Should he do that, Lavia will probably play as the defensive midfielder, with Fernandez distributing from a slightly advanced role and Caicedo partnering him.

That will add more solidity to the Blues midfield which should make them difficult to score against. The three-man defensive midfield of Fernandez, Caicedo and Lavio promise to be one of the strongest in the Premier League.

#2. To make use of crosses played from wings:

Carney Chukwuemeka wasn't very impressive in the first half against Liverpool, though he performed better in the second. Hence, Pochettino should think of starting with Raheem Sterling alongside Nicholas Jackson against West Ham.

The Blues are very much dependent on the overlaps of their two wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James. Both of them are adept at playing crosses from the flanks and Chelsea will be in a better position to use them with two forwards.

Moreover, playing in a central position will also enable Sterling to combine through the inside-right channel with James, something he did quite well against Liverpool. Jackson also impressed with his tenacity in his debut match in the league and should be well-positioned to combine with an onrushing Chilwell, who spent the majority of his time in an advanced position in the Blues’ opening match.

Hence, it should prove to be really beneficial for Chelsea to switch to a 3-5-2 in the match against West Ham United.