The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea: Three lessons learnt from Blues’ crushing of the Clarets

By Gabe Henderson

Chelsea's Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech (C) embraces Chelsea's English striker Tammy Abraham (L) after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on October 31, 2020. (Photo by Alex Livesey / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ALEX LIVESEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea's Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech (C) embraces Chelsea's English striker Tammy Abraham (L) after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on October 31, 2020. (Photo by Alex Livesey / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ALEX LIVESEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Mason Mount of Chelsea is challenged by Dwight McNeil of Burnley during the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on October 31, 2020 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Mason Mount of Chelsea is challenged by Dwight McNeil of Burnley during the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on October 31, 2020 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

3. The 4-3-3 is the past, present and future

Aside from the integration of half of Chelsea’s coveted academy into the first team—and the obvious off-field challenges—the headline associated with Lampard’s first season as manager was his 4-3-3 formation. At the risk of getting too sentimental (or terrified, take your pick), I’m going to keep the analysis of last season to a minimum. Lampard’s 4-3-3 brought with it a host of goals. The Blues found themselves finding the back of the net left and right, regardless of the ongoing transfer ban or a plethora of injuries. In the end, it was the defense that let Lampard down. Regardless, the 2019/20 Blues persevered and secured a spot in the Champions League.

Fast forward to the present. Chelsea sat 10th in the Premier League after six games, conceding nine goals in the process. Before Mendy’s inclusion in the side, the problems still remained and that’s partly due to the 4-2-3-1 Lampard shifted to at the beginning of the year. In an attempt to patch up the leaky defense, the Chelsea boss turned to a double pivot in defensive midfield to provide cover for the back line. The problem was it often didn’t do much to help, and when it did, the attack suffered. This led to a formation change throughout the last 20 minutes of the Champions League match in Krasnodar. The previous 250 minutes before that, the attack managed one goal. However, after Lampard brought on what is possibly his best XI—at least in terms of the front line—Chelsea scored three goals in just 14 minutes.

Fast forward once again, this time to the late hours of Saturday night and wee hours of the morning on Sunday when this article was drafted, the 4-3-3 looks to have returned for good. Lampard’s favored formation brought with it another complete performance from the Blues at Turf Moor, this time a 3-0 victory over Burnley.

The 4-3-3 allows Mount and Havertz to co-exist in midfield while Kante runs rampant, covering the back line. The dual No. 8s give the Blues not only more creativity, but a more relentless press and another body higher up the pitch to possess the ball for longer periods. Seven goals in about 110 minutes is a significant return, especially considering the defense has yet to concede. As Lampard and his coaches continue to navigate this strange season with a relatively unfamiliar side, they can now afford to solely look at personnel as the tactical issues seem to have been resolved.

Next. Chelsea: The best partner for N'Golo Kante (Part Two). dark

What lessons did you take away from the Blues’ victory over Burnley? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

Home/Premier League