Chelsea are on the verge of being crowned Premier League champions and it is rather surprising that their best chance creator Cesc Fabregas is not a first-team player. The Spanish midfielder has only made 11 starts in the league this season, coming on as a substitute 15 times.
While the cream of the crop in attacking midfield across all teams have clocked nearly 3,000 minutes in the past nine months, the Spaniard has only played a grand total of 1,137 minutes. Yet, he has 11 assists – behind Kevin De Bruyne (15), Christian Eriksen and Gylfi Sigurdsson (both 12).
When Fabregas was informed after the game that his assist for Diego Costa against Middlesbrough might be taken away because it had come off Fabio, he feigned annoyance and was adamant that it was “meant for Costa all day long”. Opta soon informed him that it was ruled in his favour.
The assist gave him a new record: no other player has assisted at least 10 goals in six different Premier League seasons. His time with Arsenal produced some of his best football and he has managed to replicate it at Chelsea to lead them to a Premier League title – most likely two if they get three more points in the next three games.
Also read: Fabregas proud of personal record as Chelsea close in on Premier League title
In spite of the impact he has had on the team, Fabregas remains a squad player in Antonio Conte’s side. He has played 90 minutes in the league only seven times. It’s almost bizarre to see a player of his calibre considered a luxury signing when he leads the league for creating chances.
| PLAYER | MINUTES | ASSISTS | MINS/ASSIST | CHANCES CREATED | MINS/CHANCE CREATED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cesc Fabregas | 1136 | 11 | 103 | 50 | 23 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 2621 | 15 | 175 | 97 | 27 |
| Christian Eriksen | 2985 | 12 | 249 | 104 | 29 |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | 3149 | 12 | 262 | 77 | 41 |
| David Silva | 2524 | 7 | 361 | 76 | 33 |
| Mesut Ozil | 2584 | 7 | 369 | 83 | 31 |
Why doesn’t Conte use Fabregas more often?
The Italian manager’s standard formation is the 3-4-3 which unfortunately has no place for Fabregas. With all the creativity coming from the wing-backs and wide forwards, Conte picks N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic to protect the 3-man defence and stop attacks before teams can even think about launching an attack.
Chelsea are not a side that thrive on possession. Among the top six clubs, Chelsea have the lowest possession stats (53%). They are quite happy to hit teams on the counter-attack (they have scored the most goals from counters).
It’s a very effective tactic and Conte should be lauded for bringing some stability to the side that eventually went on a 13-match winning run that took the Blues to the top of the table. In his debut season, Conte chose to make his team solid at the back and that, in turn, led to the Blues scoring the most goals in the league so far.
They are a team that press high up the pitch and prefer to win the ball back in their opponents’ half. Sadly, it is a strategy that does not play to Fabregas’s strengths.
Also read: Chronicling the decline of Cesc Fabregas – to La Liga and back again
The Spain international, who recently turned 30, does maximum damage with the ball at his feet. In his Arsenal days, Arsene Wenger built the formation around him. He was the creative fulcrum of the team as they evolved from a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-2-3-1.
But Matic and Kante have something in abundance that Fabregas does not. The physicality required to protect the defence and the stamina to run non-stop for 90 minutes. It is a potent pairing and slotting Fabregas in there exposes Chelsea to teams that are strong through the middle. His eight yellow cards are also further proof that it is not a role he enjoys when Chelsea are without the ball.
“I don't think my physical abilities are the best; I'm not the quickest, I'm not the strongest, I'm not the sharpest... Every day, you see less talent and more power and players running around. Today, it's more difficult for the more talented players to succeed.” – Fabregas
Does Fabregas have a future at Chelsea?
Despite the lack of minutes under his belt, Fabregas has shown immense professionalism to not complain too much where other players may have made thinly-veiled threats to secure playing time. The quest for the Premier League title – now within arm’s reach – has ensured his focus in on another trophy and possibly a domestic double where they play his former club Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
“To work very hard is not simple. The player is not always happy to work hard. I want players ready to fight and put themselves in the team to win together. If you are happy, or unhappy, I don't care.” – Conte
But one would think that he will sit down with Conte this summer to discuss his options. And you would expect the Italian to stay steadfast to his philosophy. Although he employed a 3-5-2 formation with three central midfielders at Juventus and Italy, employing that at Chelsea would see him sacrifice either Eden Hazard or Pedro. Out of the question.
The 3-4-3 is here to stay and Fabregas could be a casualty as a result. Every manager who has tried to play Fabregas in the deep-lying playmaker role has failed – be it Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho or Conte. And the Italian is a huge fan of both Kante and Matic to drop either of them.
If Fabregas wants to play regular football, he will have to look elsewhere. Even with Champions League football returning to Stamford Bridge next season, Conte will go with Kante and Matic in midfield. He has shown that he is not averse to playing the same starting lineup in every game unless there’s an injury.
Where can Fabregas go?
Rumours claim he finds himself in a situation similar to that of Petr Cech when his Chelsea career came to an end. His family is settled in London and he wants to continue his career in the capital (one of the reasons he joined Chelsea when Arsenal did not take up the option to buy him back from Barcelona).
Could a return to Arsenal be on the cards? There are too many factors to consider that as an option. Firstly, Arsene Wenger’s future is still up in the air. Secondly, so is Mesut Ozil’s future. Wenger declined to re-sign Fabregas because he had Ozil in the ranks. If the German does leave and Wenger stays, Fabregas might be a decent option.
Mourinho may also look to sign him to replace the outgoing Michael Carrick at Old Trafford. But besides that, he may not find many suitors among the top clubs and he will probably have to stick with Chelsea in the end.
Not many players can thread the needle on a football pitch as often as Fabregas does. His eye for through balls is second to none in the league and the frequency with which he unlocks defences is what makes him an attractive player to watch.
Sadly, most Premier League teams now require even the best artists to put in a shift and, unless Fabregas adapts his game, he may end up warming the bench again.
