Many assumed Antonio Conte, having used the 3-5-2 formation famously at Juventus, would use it again with Chelsea. Now that it has become Chelsea’s go-to formation, its short-comings and unsuitability for this squad are readily apparent.
Chelsea’s switch to 3-5-2 from 3-4-3 was not nearly as sudden as the switch from 4-1-4-1 to 3-4-3. There is no clear marker where one began and the other ended. Of course, the 3-4-3 never truly went away, but over October and November the first choice set up changed. While the 3-5-2 only truly saw use towards the end of matches last season, this season Conte used it in big games en route to making it the primary formation.
There were several reasons for this. The 3-4-3 would collapse into a 5-4-1, whereas a 3-5-2 would become a 5-3-2. This not only protected the center better, but it allowed for an additional man up high to start a counter. In addition, the additional midfielder increased control of the central areas and allowed Chelsea to hold possession more easily.
That extra player in midfield came at the cost of a winger. This worked initially because Pedro and Willian were both out of form and Cesc Fabregas, N’Golo Kante, and Tiemoue Bakayoko were in form. Fabregas could then have a role where two other midfielders gave him time and space to create. Meanwhile, the defensive duties were almost entirely lifted from Eden Hazard, giving him freedom to influence the game from wherever he turned up.
Finally, the switch put more attacking subs onto the bench. In late games, this allowed Chelsea more options to increase their attacking prowess if the goals were not coming.
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On paper, all of these reasons made sense, both at the time and now. But as the sample size has grown, so has the knowledge of glaring weaknesses in the formation. These weaknesses have cost Chelsea points and are holding the squad back.
First (and perhaps most importantly) is the lack of numbers on the wing. With only one wing-back per flank, that player must have an excellent game forward and backward to make the system work. This makes it simple for most opponents to outnumber Chelsea in the wide areas, forcing the wing-backs to sit deeper where they are less effective.
Furthermore, the squad has few wide options when attacking. Teams often use the wide men to do one of two things. The first is to get the ball to an outlet when pressure is increased. The other is to cross the ball into excellent headers like Alvaro Morata. Chelsea can do neither of these things easily with only one wide player on each side.
In addition, having only wing-backs out wide makes wingers redundant. Hazard found a place as a striker, but there is simply no reason for Chelsea to have Pedro, Willian, and Charly Musonda in reserve if so few will actually play.
Going into the central area of the pitch, the formation is a poor fit as well. One of the midfielders needs to be able to join the forwards and create goals from the center. Even with the signing of Ross Barkley, Chelsea do not have a proven player capable of that role. Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater have tried to various successes, but neither has proven ideal long-term.
The personnel issue that caused the 3-5-2 has also been alleviated. Willian is back into form and Andreas Christensen starting over David Luiz has fixed the hole that often opened up when Luiz bombed forward.
But the biggest issue caused by the 3-5-2 is the way it effects the two forwards. Time and time again, Morata has looked better when given a steady supply of balls from wide and has options out wide to flick the ball to. It is no wonder Morata has looked better with a winger on either side. It simply gives him options. With only Eden Hazard, he loses one source of incoming crosses and he is entirely predictable where he will flick the ball.
Morata and Hazard also do not form a strong partnership. Morata could be an excellent support striker next to an actual striker. But when partnered with Hazard, it is as though Chelsea is using two support strikers. Neither has a solid outlet, which causes them to go it alone or try to force a ball into a marked opponent.
Hazard’s free role also means the attack too often focuses through him. No matter the player, a team simply cannot pass the ball to the same player every time in hopes of making wonderful things happen. Opponents will read it like a book, and if that player has a bad day the entire squad suffers.
When Chelsea use the 3-5-2 they look like a team that needs to have every player playing at 100 percent. Anything less and it all falls apart. That is not a sustainable situation. Stronger clubs will take advantage of the weak spots because Chelsea will be unable to adapt without subs.
The simplest solution would be to revert to the 3-4-3. Chelsea has looked more solid in it this season than in the 3-5-2. It suits the current player pool better and can more easily adapt to situations presented by the opponent.
The next best solution is getting the right midfielder to cope with the unique role of the formation. He needs to be a midfielder who can provide width when needed while also scoring goals himself. Ross Barkley could be this player, but it is far too early to see where he will start or even if he is seen as more than depth.
The last solution would be a new formation. Fans have been clamoring for a four-at-the-back formation. This could help both with control of the center and the wide areas at the expense of the third center-back. Conte attempted this last season with a 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-2. With the right players in the center and the right shape it could overcome the loss of the extra defender.
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Antonio Conte is a brilliant tactician who has likely known about all of this for weeks. Solutions may present themselves in the transfer window or academy as time goes on. But it is certain that the 3-5-2 as it currently stands is not the ideal formation for Chelsea. Conte will find a solution in time, and the sooner he does the more solid the Blues will become.