Chelsea: Eden Hazard as false-nine was a last resort but is now the best option

Maurizio Sarri once said he did not plan on using Eden Hazard as a false-nine. Events at Chelsea FC intervened, and now Hazard in the center of the forward line is Sarri’s go-to selection.

Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Brighton was more difficult than it should have been. The Blues sauntered to a two-goal lead in the first half and should have been out of sight by the hour mark. A combination of poor finishing and overconfident play – something Maurizio Sarri addressed after the defeat to Wolves – created doubt where none should have existed.

Apart from the obvious three points gained, the other positive from the match was the performance of Eden Hazard. The diminutive Belgian played his second consecutive match as a false nine and finished with a goal and an assist.

His assist, coming after his shot was blocked, was a brilliant pass across the goal for Pedro to tap in at the far post. He then scored the goal his performance deserved when he beat Mat Ryan in a one-on-one. Willian intercepted a poor pass from Leon Balogun and swiftly played a through-ball to the Belgian. It ended a goal drought for club and country that lasted over two months and 12 games.

Hazard has been hampered by injuries this season and he picked up another knock during the Brighton game. That goes some way to explaining his goal drought. Another factor is the identity of Chelsea’s striker in that period.

Alvaro Morata’s inefficiency in bringing others into the play means Hazard – and the rest of the team – rarely had a focal point to revolve around. That Hazard is yet to score with Morata on the pitch tells you much of what you need to know about the Spaniard.

Despite the issues affecting Hazard, he still found other ways to be useful to the team. His assist against Brighton extended his streak of assists in consecutive Premier League games to four, a record only Cesc Fabregas has ever previously achieved for the Blues.

Sarri’s deployment of Hazard as a false nine has brought an improvement in the Belgian’s game. His goal and assist came on the heels of his two-assist performance against Manchester City. His tally of 17 goal involvements (8 goals and 9 assists) is the highest in the league. In fact, he’s now been involved in more league goals this season (17 in 16 matches) than in the whole of last season (16 in 34 matches).

Hazard does not enjoy playing as a false nine, but he will have to get used to it. He doesn’t fancy having balls lumped in his direction nor contesting aerial duels with six-foot and taller defenders. That was usually the case whenever he played the role of under Antonio Conte. Under Sarri, however, he will receive the ball to his feet a lot more and has the freedom to roam and wreak havoc upon the opposition defense.

The players are yet to fully grasp the tactics and Hazard still receives his fair share of long balls. In the match against Manchester City for example, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger kept playing long balls for him to chase, especially during the first half. As a result, he was isolated and ineffectual until he played the pass for N’Golo Kante’s goal. Things improved in the second half when he started getting the ball the way he wanted it. That gave him – and Chelsea – the platform to record a famous victory.

The false nine position, as shown in the game against Brighton, enables the team to attack in a more fluid way. Olivier Giroud, for all of his strengths, is a largely immobile figure up front and can be easily marked out of the game.

Having diminutive players like Hazard, Willian and Pedro interchanging easily in the final third makes it much more difficult for defenders to pick them up.

Hazard dropping deep to receive the ball puts the defense in an impossible position. If a defender should follow him, the defensive line is broken and one of Willian or Pedro will attack the space created. And if he’s left all alone, he has the time and space to dictate the pace of the attack and that spells trouble for any defense.

Hazard’s immense dribbling ability is not only useful when the team is attacking, but also when trying to see out a victory. He can use it – together with his underrated upper body strength – to win fouls and take pressure off the team in the dying seconds of the game.

Maurizio Sarri said the false nine is not going to be a permanent fixture after the win against Manchester City. After seeing the effect on Hazard’s performance coupled with the knee injury suffered by Alvaro Morata, the Italian tactician is sure to change his mind.

The downside to the permanent use of the false nine is the lack of alternatives. Apart from Hazard, Willian and Pedro, the only other winger in the squad is the talented but raw Callum Hudson-Odoi. Sarri has claimed repeatedly Hudson-Odoi is not ready to play in the Premier League.

But the winger situation can be easily remedied as the transfer market opens in just over two weeks. The rumors linking Christian Pulisic to Chelsea have intensified in recent weeks and he would be a good addition to the team. And if things go south very quickly, Olivier Giroud remains a fantastic option to bring from the bench.

Where does all this leave Alvaro Morata? He has not shown he’s up to the task of leading the line at a major club and, as such, Chelsea should sell him as soon as possible. They seem to like him very much in Italy, and he’ll be welcomed with open arms should he decide to go back.