Victor Moses will almost certainly miss Chelsea’s critical match with Manchester City today. He will leave a large gap on Chelsea’s right flank that Leroy Sane and City will relentlessly attack.
Antonio Conte said that he does not sleep after a loss. Even if Chelsea had won against Crystal Palace, Conte would still be losing sleep this week over Victor Moses. Although Conte said Moses will undergo a final round of assessment this morning, no reports have him close to match readiness.
Chelsea do not have an adequate back-up plan for Moses’s absence. Pedro played at right wing-back against Crystal Palace. While he was not responsible for the loss he did not instill confidence in his abilities at the two-way role. That is worrying enough against a Sam Allardyce side featuring Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke. It is downright nerve-wracking when Pep Guardiola brings Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero to west London.
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Leroy Sane has 17 appearances for Manchester City this season, playing on the left wing in a 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3. He is emerging as one of City’s most dangerous offensive threats, with pace and instinct in equal amounts.
If Chelsea line up as expected, Sane vs. Pedro will be a devastating mismatch on Chelsea’s right flank. Shutting down Sane requires the defensive acumen and focussed attention span that Pedro simply does not have.
Even if Pedro were to stay in more defensive positions and suppress his forward instincts, he does not know how to track, cover and tackle someone like Sane. He also does not have the experience as a defender to know how to adapt with the rest of the defence around Sane’s and Aguero’s movement.
Cesar Azpilicueta will shoulder more responsibility than usual as he will be the lone defender on Chelsea’s right. He will have to slow down Sane, if not shut him down.
Azpilicueta is up to the Sane challenge. But Sane’s play and that of his teammates can stretch and deform Chelsea’s defence into easily exploitable gaps. Just because Azpilicueta can cover Leroy Sane does not mean David Luiz and Gary Cahill will adequately lock down the rest of the pitch, where Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne stalk.
Tottenham ended Chelsea’s 13-game winning streak by exploiting the spaces behind Chelsea’s wingbacks. Pep Guardiola will be well-versed in how Mauricio Pochettino handed Chelsea that defeat. Compared to what Spurs had to work with in the space behind Victor Moses, Sane and City will have acres of greenery to play in behind Pedro.
Chelsea will face asymmetric threats coming into their defensive third. Leroy Sane will drive past Pedro, run at Cesar Azpilicueta and then look towards goal. Kevin de Bruyne will be on the other side of the pitch looking to sail in crosses to Sergio Aguero and Sane.
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Hopefully you managed to get a good night’s sleep last night. Antonio Conte surely didn’t.