Callum Hudson-Odoi followed up his nine-minute first-team debut in the FA Cup with a 25-minute Premier League debut against Bournemouth. His emergence could signal another shift in Chelsea’s lineup.
Ever since That Game against Arsenal in September 2016, Chelsea fans look for the same silver lining in embarrassing losses. Antonio Conte introduced Marcos Alonso and a new formation, and nothing was ever the same. The Blues have gone behind 3-0 several times since then, but none have had a similar after-effect.
Conte responded to Bournemouth’s first two goals with a substitution. With Antonio Rudiger replacing Andreas Christensen in the 28′ due to injury, Conte used his final sub on Callum Hudson-Odoi with Chelsea down 2-0. While Hudson-Odoi could do little to stop the game from going to 3-0, he gave Stamford Bridge more hope of a consolation goal and a slightly respectable loss than most of his colleagues on the pitch.
In his 25 minutes, Hudson-Odoi completed five dribbles – second only to Eden Hazard, who completely nine in 90 minutes. He had two shots, with one on target. Only four other Chelsea players had a shot on target, and none had more than one. And he did this all on only 24 touches. The only player who saw less of the ball was the only player who played similarly few minutes, Andreas Christensen.
Hudson-Odoi replaced Davide Zappacosta, but he played centrally and to the left as Chelsea evolved to a post-3-4-3 formation. Hudson-Odoi’s performance contrasted sharply with Pedro’s, who was ineffective at best for the entire game. Whether it was the ambition of a young man wanting to earn his place alongside Eden Hazard in Antonio Conte’s eyes, Hudson-Odoi showed more purpose and intent in his passes and dribbles than Pedro or even Ross Barkley.
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With Willian injured and Pedro on a prolonged run of sub-par form, Callum Hudson-Odoi could go from debutante to regular in record time. As Conte’s usage of Ethan Ampadu shows, a young player’s fitness is as much a factor in their playing time as their abilities and acumen. Hudson-Odoi will have more days between appearances, and longer shifts will mean longer rest periods. But consistency, rather than frequency or volume, is the key to player development under Conte.
Whereas Antonio Conte’s last significant shift was in tactics, Hudson-Odoi and Ampadu could signal an impending shift in personnel. Recognizing the limited support he has from the board in the transfer market and his apparently steadfast refusal to quit, Conte is taking the future of his lineup into his own hands. If the club will not buy him the players he wants, he has little choice beyond crafting them himself.
Last season, he made Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses into top-level wing-backs. He converted Cesar Azpilicueta to centre-back, making him the most versatile defender in England. Conte took little-known, mid-career players and made them title-winning stars.
For the remainder of this season, Conte may take young players and make them regulars in preparation for his third year at Stamford Bridge. If he cannot have Alexis Sanchez or Riyad Mahrez, he would rather have Callum Hudson-Odoi than Pedro and a pile of excuses. As frustrating as it is for Conte to always have to make do with what the board give him rather than the board giving him what he needs, he is masterful at the task.
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Antonio Conte already is establishing himself as a powerful advocate and trustee of Chelsea’s youth. Hudson-Odoi earned his auditions, and now is earning a regular role in the side. Like Ethan Ampadu, Conte can play Hudson-Odoi on his merits, not out of desperation or a misguided sense of purpose around the academy.