Chelsea’s 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 is working, but do not assume it is permanent

During the current good run of games, Frank Lampard has settled on a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid. It is working for Chelsea but do not assume it is permanent.

Frank Lampard played around with several set ups in preseason before landing on the 4-2-3-1 that worked for him at Derby. A rough start caused him to step back and do a rethink over the first international break. He returned with a 3-4-3 that was not all that dissimilar to what Jody Morris used to run in the academy. Eventually, injuries forced a move to a 4-3-3 and now it is somewhere between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 depending on the moment.

This is the longest Frank Lampard has gone without changing the actual formation. The winning run obviously plays into that, as does the fact that it suits the most in form players at the moment. Furthermore, the squad is built for a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 right down the depth chart.

But just because that is the way now does not mean it will remain the way going forward. There are still some injured players yet to return and shifting form could change things going through the winter.

One major factor will be the players involved in the high press. In the current set up, Tammy Abraham and either Mason Mount or a winger (or both) will press the ball to force a mistake. In the 3-4-3, a similar set up was seen so it is likely that at least two players will always need to be involved high in the press. This can be achieved in a few different combinations and that will reflect in the formation.

The numbers in the back line seems the next deciding factor. While the forwards and midfielders get involved in a press, the back line has generally sat waiting to sweep anything up that gets through. When it was a back three (or five on defense), it was because the back four was failing to stop crosses properly. That has mostly been cut out as Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma have grown used to each other and the need for a third center mid has been less drastic.

The real question may come in the midfield, especially with Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s eventual return. If Loftus-Cheek returns as he was, it would be very hard to not play him. But the question is where. Most seem to think it will be for Mount’s position, but pressing in the way that Mount does has never been Loftus-Cheek’s skill set. His skill set is more akin to Mateo Kovacic’s than anyone else’s.

Lampard would have one potential solution to that in the 4-4-2 diamond. The formation was used infrequently in preseason but it did come off rather well. The back four would remain unchanged with the full backs still being expected to provide almost all of the width. Lampard’s wingers rarely stay or go wide as it is so a winger less formation would be of little difference. The deepest midfield three would also be rather unchanged from combinations seen last season.

The main difference would be the front three but it would not be as drastic as expected. Lampard has been extremely hesitant to throw two strikers on at a time so it could be expected that at least one of the front two would be an attacking mid or winger by trade. Given that all of Chelsea’s wingers moonlight as attacking mids too, the 10 role could go a few different ways as well. In part, the front three could look a lot like the front threes that Chelsea used when Mount was being used as a winger.

Of course, Chelsea is running on a meritocracy now. If the players that have earned their minutes fit a 4-3-3, then Lampard will keep using that. But he will not hesitate to change things up if results take a turn or different sets of players find form. The 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 is the go to for now, but that could all change a great deal before the summer comes.