Chelsea victory at Newcastle proves importance of attacking versatility

Chelsea’s attacking versatility proved the difference away to Newcastle as the Blues tried everything to finish the game 2-0.

While the 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Saturday wasn’t Chelsea’s best performance of the season, it was an incredible demonstration of the team’s attacking versatility. The four starting forwards put in an energetic display that should give Frank Lampard a ton of confidence in his squad, which will be crucial heading into one of the more difficult stretches on the fixture list.

With Kai Havertz still absent from the team because of a positive COVID test and Christian Pulisic on the verge of recovering from his hamstring injury, Lampard has had difficult decisions to make in terms of his first XI. Chelsea’s remaining forwards have not disappointed though, playing impressive team football over the past few matches. Positive results have followed, as the Blues have won their previous three Premier League fixtures by a combined score of 9-1.

The win at St. James Park, albeit a relatively boring affair, was a great showing of the free-flowing, aesthetically pleasing style of football that Chelsea fans have been clamoring for since Roman Abramovic shelled out nearly $270 million for new transfers over the summer. Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech combined incredibly well, especially in the first half, to create some decent chances and really gave Newcastle a problem defensively. These four rotated effortlessly in attack, forcing the Magpies into difficult positions that resulted in a couple goals.

Abraham was clearly the Man of the Match on Saturday. His hold-up play from the number nine position was incredible, giving his teammates on the wing a ton of opportunities to run in transition. His relationship and understanding with Werner were particularly noticeable, as those two gave Javier Manquillo everything he could handle on the left side. Although he probably should’ve scored at least one goal himself, Werner did well to lead Abraham into space for the Blues’ second goal.

Mount stood out too, taking advantage of Havertz’s absence to show his skills in his preferred attacking midfield role. His relentless motor was crucial in Chelsea’s transition play going forward, and he took some defensive responsibility as well. It was Mount more than Mateo Kovacic who assisted N’Golo Kante in stealing the ball and closing down passing lanes, despite the fact that the Croatian playmaker usually prefers to sit deeper in the midfield.

The positioning of Chelsea’s wide players also displayed why attacking versatility is so tactically important to the team. Werner, who started on the left, and Ziyech, who started on the right, are more than comfortable playing down the center of the pitch and drifted into that area from time to time against Newcastle. This allowed both Ben Chilwell and Reece James to bomb down the wings unimpeded, putting opposing defenders in precarious positions. It was Chilwell’s pressure on Federico Fernandez that forced his own goal.

Havertz and Pulisic’s returns will only provide Lampard with more options going forward. He can still rely on Olivier Giroud and Callum Hudson-Odoi, both of whom made appearances on Saturday, but they seem to have fallen down the pecking order in recent weeks. Regardless, having a multitude of creative attackers who can all play multiple positions will be crucial if Chelsea is to maintain its impressive form heading into the condensed holiday period.