Chelsea: Should Willian or Pedro complete the front line in the 3-4-3?

Willian and Pedro have found their minutes drastically reduced this season, as Antonio Conte has shifted from a 3-4-3 to a 3-5-2. This choice of formation means a preferred front pair of Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard, leaving no room for two of Chelsea’s other attacking options.

Chelsea’s disappointing result against West Ham and a subsequent return to a 3-4-3 in the win against Huddersfield could bring Pedro and Willian into the lineup more in the coming weeks. Particularly with the run of fixtures the Blues have ahead of them, the wingers can have a large role in controlling and ultimately winning those games.

Both have four goals and four assists so far, and have attempted 22 tackles. Willian has played slightly more minutes, and made a fraction more key passes than the Spaniard. The obvious difference is in the dribbling statistic: the Willian has almost doubled Pedro in that regard.

If Antonio Conte does decide to switch back to 3-4-3 – even if just for the short-term – which one  should get the nod to be the third man alongside guaranteed starters Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard?

Willian: Break down tight defences

Willian has featured slightly more this season than Pedro and is often Antonio Conte’s first substitute in the big away games. He provides a lot of energy and is probably the closest to Eden Hazard in terms of dribbling.

The main frustration with Willian is the contrasts in his performance. He can go from being brilliant one day, to awful the next. For brilliant, see Qarabag, Huddersfield away. For awful, see his brief cameo against Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge. Since his outstanding 2015/16 season, Willian has yet to produce beast mode on a consistent basis. When he is on his game he makes things happen, and his turn of pace can be a nuisance to any defender.

Conte should use Willian when the opposition is sitting deep and Chelsea are struggling to break them down. He has a trick or two in his locker and works best in tight spaces. Looking at Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures, the match away to Everton seems an obvious choice for Willian to feature and help break down Sam Allardyce’s bus.

Pedro: Exploit open spaces

After a red card in the Community Shield against Arsenal, Pedro started the season quite strongly, scoring and assisting three goals before the end of October. Pedro can often come up with an important goal or a smart finish just when Chelsea need it most. The goal away at Everton towards the end of last season immediately springs to mind. He finished last season having contributed to 18 goals in the Premier Leauge. Whilst he has not properly found his gear yet this season, he is always capable of making something happen.

Pedro is much more consistent than Willian – you know what you will get with the Spaniard. He may not have as many outstanding, man-of-the match displays, but he is less likely to deliver a 3/10 stinker. He runs hard and works best when the opposition allows some space in behind their defence.

Pedro has also shown himself to be quite flexible, and has appeared this season in a number of positions. Whereas Willian is predominately used in a front-three or a front-two, Pedro can also do the job if needed at wing-back, or even in a midfield-three. This could come in useful as Chelsea look to rotate in the coming month.

Next: Predicted XI vs. Soton: Morata's return draws Chelsea back to a 3-5-2

Antonio Conte should use both over the busy Christmas period to prevent fatigue from creeping in. Conte likely will decide between them on a game-by-game basis, rather than definitively choose one over the other.