Chelsea: The evolution of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham

With all the new signings coming into Chelsea this season, it would have been easy for Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham to be forgotten. Instead, they evolved.

Chelsea looks to be a frightening prospect for the Premier League heading into the international break with the new signings hitting the ground running. With that being said, it would be easy to overlook how Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham have evolved their game.

There is much excitement surrounding the West London club at the moment. It seems like everything has finally clicked. Chelsea’s attack is the most potent in the league with 20 goals in eight matches and the defense looks to have finally settled with Edouard Mendy in goal recording clean sheets in his first three games. Frank Lampard’s implementation of the 4-3-3 looks to have struck the perfect balance in attack and defense with Chelsea seamlessly transitioning the ball across the pitch without looking vulnerable out of position. While Lampard deserves credit for his tactics, it would not be possible if he did not have the correct personnel.

The new signings will receive much of the plaudits for Chelsea’s recent form and rightly so. Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have quickly settled into the league and are already wreaking havoc. Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell, alongside the previously mentioned Mendy, have given Chelsea back their defensive steel. However, Mount and Abraham are equally responsible for this run having significantly improved from the players they were last year.

In their breakout year, Mount and Abraham were stalwarts in the side for the majority of last season. However, it was felt by some come the start of this current season that they would be demoted to rotation players. This has not been the case, with Mount and Abraham improving in many facets of their game, giving them a real chance to nail down a spot in the starting 11. There are many factors which have contributed to the two players evolution which in the last three months has turned them from prospects to established stars.

The first factor to consider for Mount is that he is being played in is favored position. For the majority of last season, Mount was forced to play out wide or as a sole attacking midfielder. While he performed adequately, it was clear his strengths were not being utilized effectively. In the number eight role, his current position, Mount can best put his engine to use. He can effectively press, recover the ball, and provide passes into the final third from an area of the pitch where he is most comfortable. Playing as an attacking midfielder limited much of Mount’s movement but as the central midfielder, he has the full length of the pitch to express himself.

Tammy Abraham being played out of position was not a problem he faced last season. Abraham scored 15 goals as a central striker. While this is a good return, his link up play left a lot to be desired which led to Olivier Giroud being favored over him by the end of the season. This season, it seems like Abraham has made a conscious effort to develop this part of his game. Abraham frequently drops into midfield to collect the ball allowing Timo Werner to take up more advance positions. I have no doubt Abraham will surpass the three assists in the league he gathered last season with already one to his name.

The major factor which cannot be overlooked for both Mount and Abraham is that they are now playing in a more settled and stable team with better players. Naturally, if you train with more talented players you will improve. There’s no doubt Willian was a superb servant for Chelsea (he was the main source of creativity for them last season) as Christian Pulisic was injured for the majority of the time. Willian just wasn’t enough, forcing Mount and Abraham to pick up the slack. However, this season alongside the attackers, the fullbacks in James and Chilwell also are key contributors now and a threat which was not present last year.

It will be interesting to see Mount and Abraham’s trajectory now that they are in a side in which they can focus on the best parts of their games. While they have both come a long way, there is still room for improvement. This season I hope both young men can hit double figures in both goals and assists giving them the stats that their output deserves.