Chelsea’s 3-4-3 alternatives: Analysing the 3-5-2 formation

Chelsea enjoyed great success with the 3-4-3 last season, but teams need to evolve. Here is how the Blues could set up and play in a 3-5-2 formation should change be necessary.

The 3-4-3 can easily be morphed into a 3-5-2 with just a couple of tweaks; moving the right winger into the middle and shifting the left winger into the position of a secondary striker. This formation can really help Chelsea blow mid-table opposition out of the water, especially at Stamford Bridge.

Let’s consider the following starting XI: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Moses, Alonso, Kante, Fabregas, Willian, Morata, Hazard

Substitutes: Caballero, Christensen, Cahill, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Pedro, Batshuayi

In this formation, Willian plays as the trequartista (number 9) and Eden Hazard plays off Alvaro Morata. The beauty of this formation lies in the fact that N’Golo Kante can be paired with any central midfielder and it would work.

David Luiz would play a Bonucci-esque role, with the responsibility of linking up with one of the central midfielders. Cesc Fabregas, for instance, would shift the ball out wide to one of the two wing-backs or, if need be, find Morata with a long ball.

But a template attacking move would involve the central midfielder passing the ball to the nearest wing-back, say Victor Moses. As soon as Moses receives the ball, the wing back on the opposite flank has all the space in the world to sprint up the pitch, as the focus and defensive press of the opposition would be on nullifying the threat on this side.

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Moses in turn will play the ball into the feet of the supporting striker, Eden Hazard. Hazard’s excellent passing range would enable him to find either Willian or Morata, who both are in advanced positions, with Alonso also acting as a potent attacking weapon.

This would result in an attacking overload in the final third. It would essentially mean a three-pronged attack via the wide left, middle and inside right channels, resulting in several goalscoring chances for multiple players. A fluid chemistry between the attacking triumvirate is central to the success of this formation.

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If the opposition launch a counter attack, the defensive midfielder needs to just shift out a few yards to the left to briefly fill in the role of the wingback. The front three would track back, exactly the way they track back in the usual 3-4-3.

The back 3 will seamlessly transform into a back 5, while the two central midfielders effectively screen them and force opponents to take the ball out wide. The threat will be largely restricted to crosses. The aerial threat offered varies from team to team, but that too can be minimized by replacing Azpilicueta with Andreas Christensen.

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What do you think of this 3-5-2? Let us know your tactical thoughts in the comments section below!