Chelsea: Club over player as Eden Hazard plays up top

Maurizio Sarri pulled from his toolbox at Napoli and put Eden Hazard up top for Chelsea. Hazard may not like it but it benefits the club most.

When Gonzalo Higuain left Napoli, Maurizio Sarri’s first inclination may have been to give Arkadiusz Milik the starting role. But a long term injury left Sarri without that option. Instead, he put the winger Dries Mertens into the striker role.

It was an inspired decision. Mertens was not considered much of a key player for club or country before Sarri used him up top. But afterwards? Mertens became a near household name.

Not quite a false nine, nor a pure striker, Mertens was a key figure for Sarri. And against Manchester City, Sarri attempted something similar with Eden Hazard. The Belgian has played the role before, and has not shown a liking for it, but Sarri chose club over player as he made his decision.

Every Chelsea manager has tried to find the right solution to Hazard. When the Belgian first got to the club, he mentioned wanting to be the “number 10” or the advanced playmaker. But the modern game has little place for a pure playmaker at the highest level anymore. And that is why Hazard has rarely played there.

Instead, Hazard was pushed wide early and stayed there. Though that still allows for his creative and attacking talents, it puts a strain on his defensive abilities. Jose Mourinho tried to work with it but eventually it came to a head. Antonio Conte tried to find a way to relieve Hazard of defensive duties, but eventually it came to a head.

One solution, used by Mourinho, Conte, and now Sarri, has been to put Hazard at the striker role. This absolves him of virtually all the defensive duties, but also takes his involvement away. And Hazard desperately, regardless of where he plays, wants to be involved in the attack as much as possible.

But sometimes, the club benefits more when Hazard does not get his way. Against City, Sarri was able to play both Willian and Pedro on the flanks. Both are far more defensively minded than Hazard and it was a key move in winning the match. Had Hazard been in his normal left wing spot, the left wing likely would have been exposed (as it has often this season) and Chelsea may not have won.

And against most good teams, this is how the plan might go. Hazard may be up top with little involvement and unhappy. But the team as a whole will be much stronger. Hazard just has to accept that his lack of involvement is actually better for the club during these moments.

And it might not even be a bad idea to try it against lower teams as well. Against lower teams, in a system like Sarri’s, it may not matter at all if Hazard plays centrally. He may find himself heavily involved when Chelsea can actually maintain possession. That will keep him happy and it might even solve Chelsea’s striker issues against parked buses.

If Hazard can see the bigger picture, playing him at false nine/winger-striker/pure striker can work. But if he cannot, Sarri might see himself in a similar position as Mourinho and Conte when they tried Hazard up top.