Chelsea: Do reserved fullbacks help stabilize the defense?

In addition to a new formation, Frank Lampard instructed Chelsea’s fullbacks to sit deeper during the Blues’ opener against Brighton.

It’s no secret Chelsea’s opener against Brighton was slightly frustrating for spectators. The Blues, unusually, did not control possession overall and actually invited pressure for much of the match. Frank Lampard pulled a different rabbit out of the hat for this game—for reasons unknown—by shifting his tactics drastically.

As players return from injury and new additions gain match fitness, it’s unlikely the manager sticks with the same strategy. However, one aspect of the plan from Monday’s match may be here to stay. Lampard presumably instructed his fullbacks—Marcos Alonso and Reece James—to not attack with as much aggression as usual. The Blues conceded once as a result, not by fault of either fullback, but rather Kepa Arrizabalaga. The result of this experiment was largely a positive one, so will Lampard stick with his reserved fullback tactics?

While many are still trying to decipher what formation the Blues played in their opener—a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-2-3-1—it’s likely the gaffer turns to the latter as the season progresses. The players available to him when the squad is fully fit best suit a 4-2-3-1, but there could be a large change from last season’s possession-based method.

Lampard now has Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech at his disposal up front. This is in addition to the firepower of players like Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, etc. The plethora of attacking flair and creativity allows for more flexibility elsewhere on the pitch. Although Lampard is still trying to figure out his defense for the year, he may ask his fullbacks to sit back more often than the previous season.

The West Ham match during project restart was memorable for all the wrong reasons. The most unforgettable sequence in the game featured Alonso getting caught out of position, leaving room for the Hammers to go ahead in the dying moments. This cannot happen in the future and having seemingly tried everything else, Lampard may turn to the tactic he began this season with. Overall, despite having a minority of possession, Chelsea ended up with better looks than Brighton. This is largely attributable to the fact the Blues’ defense was more compact than usual.

Sure, Ben Chilwell, Cesar Azpilicueta and James are configured to go forward, but playing a more reserved style doesn’t prevent them from doing that at all times. James’ contributions—a goal and an assist (albeit on a corner)—at the Amex Stadium earlier in the week are a perfect example of how the wide defenders can still play a substantial part in the attack.

Chelsea’s leaky defense may find the answer to its problems when Thiago Silva and Chilwell are integrated. However, it’d be asinine of the manager not to at least give this trial a bit more time following relative success in the opener. The Blues let in 54 league goals last season, something’s got to change tactically.

Chelsea is going to attempt everything under the sun to improve its back line; whether it’s the double pivot in midfield, the reserved fullbacks or simply new personnel. Lampard tipped his hand in the campaign’s commencing competition, it could be here to stay.