Chelsea are currently undergoing a similar treatment to Manchester United last week. The dissection of what exactly is going wrong with the London club is a popular topic of discussion after losing twice in their last two Premier League games. After much analysis, the general consensus is that Chelsea’s defending is the major cause of the slide. Is that the only thing they need to worry about, though?
The fact of the matter is that they have been woeful in defense so far this season. In the six opening matches of the 2016/17 league campaign, Chelsea have allowed nine goals. This isn’t the most concerning number when you look at the rest of the league. It comes out to 1.5 goals per game (GAGP) and ties them on goals allowed with Liverpool, who are in fourth. So is this a lot of smoke over nothing?
Maybe not. What is concerning is that defensively, they have taken a massive dip in form in the last three games. In their last 3 league games, they have allowed seven of their nine goals, or 2.33 GAGP. That number looks even worse when you look at comparative GAGP for Chelsea in previous seasons. The only season that comes close to that number is last season, when Chelsea finished 10th in the league. Their GAGP that season: 1.39. Nearly a goal per game less than their current run in three games and .11 less than the entire season. For comparison, the only team that is near 2.33 GAGP is Aston Villa with two.
[link_box id=”23195″ site_id=”158″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]What about Liverpool or the other teams that have allowed a similar number but are higher in the table? The simple answer to that is they score more goals. Liverpool have allowed nine (1.5 GAGP) but have scored 16 (2.67 GPG). Arsenal have allowed seven (1.17 GAGP) but scored 15 (2.5 GPG). Chelsea have only managed 10 goals (1.67 GPG), and most of those came in the first three games when they put two past West Ham, two past Watford, and three past Burnley. Since then, they have only managed three goals (one GPG). When compared to the GAGP, they are averaging more goals against than for in the last three games.
This is where we get to the thesis of the piece. Chelsea’s current form woes cannot be blamed on the defense alone. Yes, they have been awful. Worse than that. They have made critical mistakes in critical times that dropped what could be critical points come the end of the season. If Chelsea had managed be enforce themselves on games more than they have, though, and notch up some goals, that wouldn’t be a problem. This can’t be blamed solely on the Chelsea attack either. We have to remember that Diego Costa is tied for top scorer in the league.
So if Costa is getting goals, what’s the problem? Well, the issue is that no one else really is. The two wingers, Willian and Hazard, haven’t been as threatening as we all know they can be. With a nearly lethargic approach to attack, both wingers face similar problems to the ones plaguing Chelsea’s midfield.
The current midfield trio of Oscar, Kante, and Matic are where a lot of the issues in this Chelsea squad mix. In most teams, the midfield is the heart and engine of a squad. When there is a sickness in the way a team plays, the midfield is the first place to look. This is perfectly shown in Chelsea’s midfield. The problem is that the midfield doesn’t offer anything in attack. Kante and Matic are too defensive while Oscar doesn’t create enough to warrant a position in front of them. They all have a pretty good engine, but in Chelsea’s set up, they need much more to function.
On the flip side, they are also not defensive enough. Both Kante and Matic, the deeper of the two midfielders, aren’t true defensive midfielders, or “destroyers” as they are often known. Instead, they work best at the base of a mobile midfield, where their jobs are to roam the field and manage possession. It is not natural for either of them to sit in front of a defense and act as a more offensive defender. So what we get is a midfield that is neither attacking or defensive enough.
So it’s all the midfield’s fault? Not exactly. See, this type of midfield, the engine room, can work when the midfielders are in form and the rest of the team is functioning. Unfortunately, the rest of the Chelsea machine is not working. The defense is out of form and making costly mistakes. The attack only has one player who is consistently dangerous. What you is the perfect storm.
There is a lot more that can be pointed out, specifically how the failing of each position brings down the form of the other positions, but that would be a few thousand more words. Instead, what can Conte do? Well, he’s a very smart manager who is used to success. The most practical approach would be to mix up the formula a bit. Send some youth players in defense to give them a try. Show you’re not afraid to drop Hazard or Willian. Change up the midfield to get it to either be more attacking with one of Kante or Matic, or a defensive rock that you build the team off of. Something needs to be done, though, because for a team that has title ambitions, Chelsea have yet to impress.
