Why Juan Mata is crucial for Chelsea against Crystal Palace

Juan Mata

On Saturday, Chelsea entertain Crystal Palace in one of the real “David vs Goliath” clashes in the Premier League. Nine times out of ten this match would be written off as a comfortable home win but on current form you wouldn’t be so sure.

Palace have picked up under Tony Pulis and they have conceded just one goal in the past five matches. Meanwhile Chelsea stuttered to a 1-0 win over Steaua Buchareston Wednesday and they went down 3-2 to Stoke last weekend.

The Blues were poor on Wednesday and last weekend their finishing let them down. With the January transfer window still a couple of weeks away Chelsea will have to make do with their present incumbents so the best thing they can do is to keep creating chances in the hope that if enough chances are created some goals will be scored.

In order to take that approach then Juan Mata simply has to start. The Spaniard’s absence from the first team was more than well publicised but recently he seems to have been restored. He was rested for the midweek European tie but he has started the last three Premier League games.

Chelsea’s Top Creators in the PL

Amazingly, despite starting only eight games in the Premier League Mata is Chelsea’s second highest chance creator with 24. Eden Hazard leads the way with 34 but he has started fourteen matches. Mata has registered just one assist fewer than the Belgian despite starting far fewer games and this really highlights his primary strength. With Mata in the team Chelsea look perhaps less pacey but far better at fashioning chances for themselves, or rather Mata fashioning chances for the rest.

Oscar has created just 17 chances this season despite starting eleven games and although he offers the running that Jose Mourinho craves he can’t create like Mata. Playing the Spaniard in the hole and then Hazard and either Willian or Andre Schurrleflanking him is probably the best way to go. This will allow Mata to do his best work.

In Mata’s last three games he has created nine of his 24 chances and he is likely to add to that total against Crystal Palace. Tony Pulis is faced with a tough decision, does he stick with two up front or drop one so he can put another midfielder in to cope with Mata? Kagisho Dikgacoi and Mile Jedinak are both solid midfielders but they’ll have enough to cope with what with Lampard, Ramires and Hazard etc. Keeping an eye on Mata will be a huge task.

If Pulis plays two strikers, he will be taking a huge risk and Mata could end up running riot. If he has granted time and space he is lethal, he can pick a pass and he is incredibly inventive. Palace ignore him at their own peril.