Chelsea changed their formation from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3 in the second half of their victory against AC Milan. Should their performance in the 4-3-3 signal a broader tactical shift?
Chelsea’s 3-1 scoreline against AC Milan belies a shaky start for the West Londoners in their United States tour finale. Antonio Conte opened the match in the usual 4-2-4 formation. Diego Costa and Bertrand Traore started as the forwards in front of the central midfield pairing of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic.
The Blues were on the back foot from the word “go.” The Italians pressed them heavily and almost scored within the first few minutes. The defence was again shaky while the midfield was in tatters. Fabregas and Matic still cannot find the rhythm or confidence they displayed in the 2014/15 title winning season.
Contrary to Conte’s proclamation that Chelsea will play possession football and will control the run of play, AC Milan dictated the first half. AC Milan forced Chelsea to sit back and counter attack.
must read: 4 Takeaways from AC Milan vs Chelsea
Chelsea still does not look proficient in a 4-2-4. The players looked confused about their own positioning. The forwards hobbled their opportunities with very low attacking penetration, while the defense exhibited their now-expected liabilities. Milan took advantage of this and ran in behind the Chelsea back-line on several occasions.
The 4-2-4 often changes into a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 during defence as Chelsea populates the midfield to create a defensive shield in front of the back four. On paper (or Lineup Builder) this looks like a good move, but the quick transitions from a 4-2-4 to another formation are perplexing the players. Their confusion exposes the team to opposition attacks.
In the second half Conte did something which he should have done earlier in pre-season: he changed the formation to a 4-3-3 diamond. Conte brought on N’Golo Kante for his first Chelsea appearance. He then shifted Matic and Fabregas further up the pitch and placed Kante in front of the defensive four.
Chelsea immediately became much more offensive. More importantly, every team member seemed to know what they were supposed to do on the pitch. Their look of bewilderment completely vanished, and every pass and movement was made with purpose. Chelsea, who looked devoid of any acceleration in the first half, suddenly hit their gears. Their offensive nous paid off through a brace from Oscar, who did himself a huge favour amidst rumours of his transfer.
The three attackers in front made overlapping runs and connected in sublime fashion. More importantly, Chelsea regained their midfield control with the three man diamond. Kante justified the fortune Chelsea spent for his signature. In the new formation Chelsea had the courage to press higher, in the process restricting AC Milan from making any forward passes.
The best part about a 4-3-3 are the new options it opens up for the central-midfielder. If Fabregas or Oscar wants to move forward and play a Number 10 role behind the front three, the deep lying defensive midfielder can come up and form a partnership with the other midfielder. This bolsters the offense while preserving the defensive cover for the back four.
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Chelsea were a different team in the second half and the scoreline reflected the same. The 4-2-4 looked like it would be Antonio Conte’s go-to formation for the season. After the AC Milan match, should Conte reconsider his strategy?