Cesc Fabregas had another man of the match performance against Wolves on Saturday. Somehow, it will likely still not be enough to garner him a regular spot in Chelsea’s Premier League XI.
Cesc Fabregas displayed his world-class brand of long-ball passing against Wolves in the FA Cup. He sent Willian in on goal early in the first half with a perfectly placed and weighted pass. Another Fabregas long-ball started the play that ended in Pedro’s goal. Chelsea would have had several more scoring opportunities courtesy of Cesc Fabregas had Diego Costa and Eden Hazard been in sharper form.
Fabregas was involved on defence, as well. His three tackles and three clearances show that he may be shedding his reputation as a one-dimensional midfielder (even if he is among the best in that dimension).
Despite that performance and others like it in this season, Antonio Conte seems no more inclined to start Fabregas in the Premier League. His last league start was on Boxing Day, where he earned an assist against Bournemouth. Before that was his commanding performance against Sunderland, where he scored Chelsea’s only goal.
"It’s such a mystery. I can’t see what else he can do, and we don’t know his relationship with Antonio Conte. It feels personal because Fabregas proves himself, and he is trusted to come on in the 70th minute. – Rayna Sidhu, The Blue Lions"
Chelsea’s success with the current set-up compounds Fabregas’s plight. No matter how strong Fabregas’ individual performances are when he comes on, Chelsea’s record with a Nemanja Matic – N’Golo Kante midfield is the ultimate bottom line.
Fabregas’s best hope for consistent starts is a change in formation. Antonio Conte favors a defensively-solid midfield. This tops the balance away from Fabregas and towards Matic to play alongside Kante, whose spot is secure.
Shifting to a 3-5-2 means that Conte would not have to make a trade-off between styles or players. Fabregas would play between Kante and either Matic or Nathaniel Chalobah. Chelsea would have two defensive-midfielders to win the battles, control the flow of play and protect the backline. Fabregas, then, would be free to create opportunities going forward and contribute on defence as necessary.
While Antonio Conte will likely not change until next season, introducing the 3-5-2 could have crucial benefits for the run-in. Chelsea’s recent matches indicate that their opponents – and not just those at the top of the table – are figuring out how to counter the Blues’ tactics. Mixing up the formation and personnel is a necessary evolution not only for long-term success but for meeting ambitions this season as well.
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Chelsea have shown glimpses of a 3-5-2 already this season. The 3-5-2 is a more stable formation than the current 3-4-3, and Antonio Conte favoured it at Juventus and Italy. Cesc Fabregas is probably among its strongest advocates in the club right now.