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The new season brings new questions, do Chelsea Fc have all the answers to make a strong start?
As the 2018 – 19 season draws closer for the English top-flight clubs, the annual curtain raiser in the form of the Community shield is set to take place on Sunday, 5th August. Chelsea and Manchester City prepare to face off in this glorified friendly, with both sides looking to finalize their squad ahead of opening day.
Lets us take a look at Chelsea and the some of the issues that need to be resolved by Sarri before the new season begins.
#3 Defensive Partnership
Chelsea started their pre-season with a back four, with David Luiz and Ethan Ampadu in the heart of their defence. While Ampadu did impress, he was replaced by Antonio Rudiger for the friendly game against Arsenal.
Antonio Rudiger looks like he will occupy a spot in the centre of the defence. His mobility, speed and athleticism make him a perfect fit for Sarri’s high line. Sarri wants his team to press high as a unit by blocking out passing lanes and winning the ball in opposition territory. What remains to be seen is who Sarri will choose to play the role of the partner to Rudiger in defence.
David Luiz has started all 3 games and looks likely to start the game on Sunday, but he does not feel like a long-term option. While Luiz is excellent when in possession of the ball, he is prone to reckless errors. Playing in the last line of defence, if Luiz gives the ball away cheaply, he does not have the mobility in transition- something that is required for Sarri’s system.
Andreas Christensen, on the other hand, is much more suited to Sarri – ball. The young defender from Denmark is composed in the air and good when tracking back in his own half. While David Luiz is better on the ball, Christensen’s work off the ball and situational awareness make him a better bet to thrive in Sarri’s plans.
#2 The Midfield Conundrum
Maurizio Sarri employs a 3-man midfield and it is safe to assume that new arrival, Jorginho, is set to occupy the deep playmaker position and make this Chelsea side tick.
N’Golo Kante will almost surely occupy the other spot to the right of Jorginho, which should really let him thrive by winning possession in the opposition half and providing the perfect link between the defence and the front line.
That leaves one spot and 4 contenders. It is safe to assume Tiemoue Bakayoko will not be starting as he has still not adapted to the English game and looks error prone as well as short on confidence.
That leaves Ross Barkley, Cesc Fabregas and Loftus Cheek to compete for 1 spot. Fabregas can do a good job against the lesser teams but is simply not dynamic enough to start against a pacey front line and midfield. His ability to track back is not great and he usually struggles when transitioning from offence to defence.
It seems as though Sarri prefers Barkley for the role and with good reason, as his strength, pace and shooting ability make him the favourite for the role. Barkley also possesses the ability to play a killer pass and should link up well with Eden Hazard, once the Belgian is available for selection. The question that remains is whether he can do it night after night, consistently.
#1 Morata responsible for a lack of goals?
The most important issue that Chelsea need to address is the lack of goals. Chelsea has been dominant in possession and creating chances. Against Arsenal too, the Blues dominated the opening 35 minutes before Arsenal managed to fight back.
However, for all their dominance, Chelsea have failed to score more than once in each of their three games. Maurizio Sarri will surely be aware of this and needs to find a solution sooner rather than later.
Alvaro Morata, ideally speaking, is a great fit for the Sarri-ball. He is quick, great in the air and possesses the mobility that is required for this style of play. He is great at finding spaces between the defenders and times his runs perfectly to stretch the back line. His pace and his ability to get in behind defenders is crucial to unlocking the opposition back line.
However, the Spanish forward has not looked like himself for months now. He has misplaced easy passes, fell over too easily in attempts to gain sympathy from the referees to no avail and as a result, has missed several golden chances to increase his goal tally. He needs to start scoring soon or rumours about him getting traded will gain traction fast.
Morata, when in form, can become one of the best forwards in the game under this system, but, he needs to shrug of his indifferent form and put on his scoring boots again.
