Chelsea’s next XI: Nuno Espirito Santo would take clever risks with a 3-5-2
Nuno Espirito Santo established himself as one of the Premier League’s elite managers last season. How would Chelsea take the pitch if he emerges from the pack to replace Maurizio Sarri?
Nuno Espirito Santo led newly-promoted Wolves to a “best of the rest” seventh-place finish last season in the Premier League. While Santo isn’t one of the two heavy favorites to become the new Chelsea manager, he has some of the best odds amongst other suitors.
Santo has used an abundance of different formations in his previous clubs. He used a 4-4-2 at Porto, a 4-2-3-1 at Valencia and, most recently, both a 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2 at Wolves. When looking at these formations and the way Santo sets up his squads, none are exactly ideal for Chelsea. He would have to take a risk early in the season to figure out what works. However, that’s primarily why the thought of Santo at Chelsea is exciting. He takes risks.
Much like Allegri, Santo is a tactical genius. It doesn’t matter what the formation is, Santo implements his style and adapts to the players he has. The 3-5-2 would likely be his preferred formation at Chelsea.
This line-up assumes the entirety of the Blues’ squad is fit and players like Marcos Alonso and Kurt Zouma are with other clubs. Additionally, Alvaro Morata’s loan runs through next season and he doesn’t want to come back anyways, so he will also be left out.
1. Goalkeeper and Defense: Cesar Azpilicueta back to his newest old position
Starting in goal is Kepa Arrizabalaga. He’s not only a fan favorite and the most expensive goalkeeper in history, he’s also an incredibly talented player.
On the right side of the three-man defense is Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard and soon-to-be club captain was one of the best defenders in the world when Antonio Conte used him as his right center back. Azpilicueta struggled a bit last season with the changes, but remained a staple in the Chelsea back line. Returning him to one of his many previous roles would be a brilliant move. It’s a position Azpilicueta has thrived in before and, much like N’Golo Kante moving back into defensive midfield, would be a joyous thing to behold.
With Conor Coady being one of the most vital players in Santo’s line-up at Wolves, Santo would look to fill that void at Chelsea. Coady’s ability to play a long pass into an attacker on the right side of the pitch is impressive.
More. Four lessons we hope Maurizio Sarri learned in his season at Chelsea. light
This makes David Luiz an ideal Santo center back. With his long passing ability, it’s difficult to see Luiz staying out of a Santo 3-5-2.
On paper, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are the more sensible pairing to complement Azpilicueta. However, with Rudiger set to miss some time early on, Luiz will get a chance to make his case as to why he has another year left.
Christensen is more than capable of effectively distributing a ball, but Luiz is one of the best. Rudiger and Christensen would likely split time as the left center back under Santo. Christensen would be a more ideal starter, however, since a majority of Santo’s attacks build up on the left side. From there, the left and central center backs work together with the wing-back to push the ball right and try to force a one-on-one situation.