A midseason tactical switch sparked Chelsea’s surge to the Premier League title two years ago under Antonio Conte.
Could the same happen under his successor this season?
For the first time in his debut season at Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri deployed a lineup without a genuine striker for the match against Manchester City on Saturday. The result? A 2-0 win over the previously unbeaten leaders that brought Chelsea back into contention for the title.
Sarri has previous experience here.
At Napoli, he used diminutive winger Dries Mertens as a makeshift center forward, flanked by two small guys in Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon in a fluid, mobile front three. Mertens responded with 46 goals in two seasons, Napoli was one of the most thrilling teams to watch in Europe, and Sarri’s side almost ended Juventus’ domination of Serie A.
Against City, Sarri dropped Alvaro Morata from the squad, left fellow striker Olivier Giroud on the bench and started with Eden Hazard as the so-called “false nine” with Willian and Pedro Rodriguez on either side. Hazard struggled at first – he was seen throwing his arms out in despair at times – but grew into the role and finished the game with two assists.
“We wanted to try with Eden because, for the first time, there was the possibility to play in counterattacks,” Sarri said. “Hazard, Pedro and Willian are really very suitable for this kind of playing, so I think it’s a normal choice. I think that it’s really a very good option.”
Whether Sarri opts to use this approach against teams who, unlike City, sit back and defend remains to be seen. It seems ideal for away games – a trip to Brighton is next for Chelsea – and matches against big rivals at home.
Giroud and Morata have alternated as the classic target man for Chelsea this season but neither striker has done enough to make the position their own. Morata, in particular, has struggled in his second season in England, with Sarri having said the Spain striker was mentally fragile.
Two years ago, it was Conte’s switch to a three-man backline that was the catalyst for a 13-game winning run that blew away its rivals and saw the team cruise to the title.
Chelsea is eight points behind first-place Liverpool ahead of a kind schedule of games over the busy festive period in England.