Late in the match against Wolverhampton, Chelsea switched to the much asked for 4-2-3-1. But why did it not work as well as advertised?
Chelsea was behind to Wolverhampton Wanderers in a match that they dominated possession but did little with it. In a last shuffle of the deck, Maurizio Sarri did something unexpected; he avoided a like for like substitute and changed the formation to 4-2-3-1.
It resulted in Eden Hazard eventually scoring but the formation itself changed little. In fact, Chelsea looked even less organized after the switch. Given that many have asked for a switch to 4-2-3-1, its flatness will be seen as a disappointment.
But the switch did not disappoint in a vacuum. There were several reasons why the formation switch still struggled. Mainly, the players on the pitch at the time.
Chelsea started the match with the usual 4-3-3. The first substitute, Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Mateo Kovacic, kept that shape in place. The second substitute, Callum Hudson-Odoi for Pedro, did the same. But it was the third substitute, Willian for Jorginho, that was noteworthy.
With Jorginho off, Chelsea went with a two of Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante with Willian, Eden Hazard, and Hudson-Odoi ahead of them from left to right. Sarri basically said the switch was possible when Jorginho came off as he does not suit a 4-2-3-1. But neither did the set up Sarri had on the field at that time.
The band of three was correct. If Chelsea ever wants to look at a 4-2-3-1, it needs Hazard to be the man in the middle. From there, he can be absolved of tracking back and can drop in or go high in attack as needed. Hudson-Odoi was able to provide width from the flank as Willian was able to come in closer. It was the two where the main issue arose.
Loftus-Cheek is an attacking player. He has not played as part of a two in a 4-2-3-1 since Jose Mourinho was at the club. Antonio Conte changed the formation when he arrived but he very quickly decided Loftus-Cheek should play higher up the pitch, not deeper. That is simply because on defense, Loftus-Cheek can be a bit absent minded.
In a 4-3-3, there are enough players to cover Loftus-Cheek going up to high. The 4-2-3-1 did not have that. Though Wolves did not cause an issue for it, Kante was largely left to defend the entire midfield alone. And while Kante is a very good player, he is not capable of covering that much space alone because no player.
Another effect of Loftus-Cheek pushing so far up was that Chelsea lost a lot of depth in attack. The attacking shape looked more like a 4-1-5 than a 4-2-3-1. The fullbacks either pushed all the way up to attack or stayed back, leaving Kante as the only player to recycle the ball off of.
The change to 4-2-3-1 seemed very spur of the moment even before it was shown the players on the field were not the best fit for it. A better pivot would have been Kovacic and Kante. If Loftus-Cheek is to play in a 4-2-3-1 now, he has to do so in the three. That will either require Hazard to push up to striker or go out wide and assume defensive responsibilities.
Overall, 4-2-3-1 probably does suit the squad best. By having a triangle in midfield that is shaped as a 2-1 instead of 1-2, the point of possession is dropped. A dropped point of possession means there will be more vertical space ahead which is a happy hunting ground for the likes of Hazard and Hudson-Odoi.
But the shape does not suit Jorginho and Sarri will not consider it as a result. He would rather stick to a shape that suits one player than a shape that suits many. He will use the struggles it had late on against Wolverhampton as a reason to avoid it in the future.
But 4-2-3-1 can work and would suit both the squad and the style Sarri wants to use. But it will come at the expense of Jorginho. So as things stand, do not expect to see 4-2-3-1 become a pillar of Chelsea’s tactics even if it would benefit the most players.