Chelsea has missed a spark in recent weeks as the side has looked increasingly unbalanced. Pedro and Ruben Loftus-Cheek provided as the strikers vanished.
Chelsea needed a big reaction when they faced off against Fulham. Instead, the match was a bit of a slog and the 2-0 victory is a bit flattering given the overall match. Still, several players did have a reaction.
Maurizio Sarri opted to make only two changes from the side that lost to Tottenham. Olivier Giroud (who claims he was supposed to start against Tottenham) replaced Alvaro Morata and Pedro replaced Willian.
Of the two, Pedro had by and far the better showcase. It is often forgotten in the endless need to hype possession stats and passing numbers, but Sarrismo is not about possession. Possession is only a means to an end for Sarri. That end is to work the ball quickly to create space vertically. It has far more in common with Jurgen Klopp’s style than Pep Guardiola’s
Pedro showed exactly why he is so much better suited for it than Willian. When Willian receives the ball, his first thought is to hold it to maintain possession. If possession were the point, that would be good. But the point is quick play, so Pedro works much better.
Pedro made quick passes that Willian would never consider. Pedro made runs in behind and through players that Willian would not. And perhaps most importantly, Pedro knew to keep his distance from Eden Hazard. Because Pedro was keeping his width, Fulham were stretched defensively which gave Hazard more room to work with and made Chelsea as a whole harder to defend against.
The striker swap was ineffective. Much will be said yet in the Giroud versus Morata debate. But both are equally ineffective more often than not. Giroud is better and pinning a defense while Morata is better at finding the spaces in a defense. Regardless, neither can score nor be truly effective in a system where they receive so little service.
Again, Sarrismo is about quick play and verticality. So often the attacks end with the front three. The connection between the wingers and the strikers is nearly nonexistent because when the ball enters the final third, it is often more viable to go it alone. Neither Giroud nor Morata are truly capable of doing that right now.
The other player who answered a question was Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Mateo Kovacic started well but faded out of the match very quickly. As that problem became more pronounced, Chelsea became flatter and flatter. Loftus-Cheek came on and breathed new life into the Blues.
Sarri is absolutely right to question Loftus-Cheek defensively. He is very hesitant to press and takes his time dropping back. But the Blues also do not have a midfielder better at driving in between lines and playing off his teammates. Between PAOK and Fulham, Loftus-Cheek has earned himself a start against Wolves at the very least.
The defensive issues are likely to hold Loftus-Cheek back from playing against Manchester City, but given enough reps he could become the exact player Sarri needs in midfield. Ross Barkley’s early form has faded and Kovacic’s proven to be a good, but limited player. Loftus-Cheek is not only capable of proving himself in the role but he deserves it.
As rotation becomes more mandatory in the league, Sarri will need to take these moments to heart. Pedro and Loftus-Cheek answered questions asked after the Tottenham match. Unfortunately, the strikers asked new ones. Finding the right solutions will see Chelsea press on through the winter.