Chelsea: Antonio Conte will keep the false-nine 3-4-3 as Plan C (maybe B.5)

Antonio Conte explained the advantages of playing a 3-4-3 without a true striker in his Friday press conference. He will continue to keep this formation as an option, but it will not be Chelsea’s first or second lineup.

Antonio Conte’s pre-match press conference ended on a high note, with a very good question about Conte’s use of Eden Hazard as a false-nine in the 3-4-3. The reporter pointed out that Chelsea have won all four games this season in that formation, and quite convincingly at that.

Conte noted that Chelsea used the system last season, and explained why it will remain in the rotation for the future.

"You don’t give a point of reference to your opponent, and you can play with three players who are very good technically, very fast, very good 1v1, creative players. At the same time, playing this way it’s very important to have balance… It would be very important to understand that to play three strikers with this characteristic we need to have a good balance. Otherwise you risk losing the game because you risk a counter-attack. – Chelsea FC"

Antonio Conte has a very specific view on strikers in his formations. Conte delayed Alvaro Morata’s debut in the starting XI until his fitness reached Conte’s expected level. Morata was visibly tired when he came off midway through the second half of his first few starts. Presumably, learning Conte’s system and developing the requisite fitness to execute it partially explained Batshuayi’s struggle for playing time last season.

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

The idea of the striker as a “reference point” is key to Conte’s perspective on the role. The striker is not only a target man, someone his teammates look to serve the ball to wherever he may be. Conte expects his striker to find the right position so the rest of the attack can flow around him. Whether the striker is looking for an outlet pass, holding up the play or moving into scoring position, he has to do this with the right movement and the right placement for the rest of the team to do their job optimally. The constant movement this requires is the source of the fitness demands. The striker is not a stationary target, but a dynamic one – an integral part of a true system.

Without the reference point, as Conte explained, the other option is to flood the zone with creativity. Chelsea’s three wingers – Willian, Hazard and Pedro – have no fixed position in this 3-4-3. Hazard is a focal point: he will always attract the opposition’s and the fans’ attention. But he is not a reference point. The players’ ability on the ball and quick movement – as individuals and a unit – compensates for the loss of bearing that comes from not having a “true” nine.

This creates new problems for the opposition. Chelsea’s “reference point” for the attack is also the reference point for the opponent’s defence. They can man-mark the striker out of the game, and at the very least shut down his space and inbound passing lanes. Eden Hazard is nearly impossible to man-mark, and it would be beyond foolhardy to mark two or more of the wingers.

The downside for Chelsea, though, is the surplus of wingers can have the tendency to overplay the ball. Willian, in particular, is susceptible to over-dribbling. The trio – in conjunction with Cesc Fabregas – can regress to trying to pass the ball into the net. Without the functionality of the reference point and the “easy” outlet he provides, Chelsea can find themselves adrift in aimless creativity.

Antonio Conte, therefore, will use a system with a striker – either the 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 – whenever possible. Only if he cannot fill either formation with a true No. 9 will he task Hazard with the role.

However, that only serves to raise the ongoing question of Michy Batshuayi. Two questions prior in the press conference, Conte reaffirmed Batshuayi’s place in the club and dismissed talk of mistrust. He explained his decision to start Hazard as the false-nine over Batshuayi in terms of Batshuayi’s recovering fitness post-injury, his game in the Checkatrade Trophy and the increasing amount of playing time he has had this season compared to last.

Next: Marcel Desailly is not worried about Eden Hazard leaving Chelsea

Antonio Conte continues to tailor the suits at Stamford Bridge. Even within a given formation, the tactics change given the players: Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill are no more interchangeable than are Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko. Nor, for that matter, Alvaro Morata, Michy Batshuayi and Eden Hazard in the 3-4-3.