If Pulisic isn’t ready, Chelsea should consider a switch to the 3-5-2

Chelsea should consider a short-term formation change considering the plethora of players sidelined with injuries, especially out wide.

After reflecting on the poor performance at Goodison Park for a few hours—and preventing myself from going on an expletive-filled tirade because, frankly, I love my job—it’s evident Chelsea’s performance was abysmal in one key area: the attack. This isn’t groundbreaking analysis or shocking news to anybody, just a simple observation. The Blues lacked creativity up front and largely struggled to find space in between Everton’s makeshift defense.

In the end, Chelsea missed its wingers and although their absences do not completely justify the horrendous on-field product on Saturday, it does somewhat explain it. The scarier part is, the Blues could be without all three wide men again on Tuesday against Wolves. Therefore, Frank Lampard and his staff need to get working on a plan to change things up because whatever they had drawn up against the Toffees fell short—to say the least. A temporary switch to a 3-5-2 could work wonders for Chelsea while solving a handful of the team’s current issues.

The most important reason the Blues should make this tactical switch is because the 4-3-3 played on Saturday simply won’t work. While both Kai Havertz and Timo Werner have experience on the wings, they are more impactful elsewhere. Both German stars have been in a funk lately for completely different reasons. Werner’s failed to find his shooting boots—which happens to everyone from time to time—but he needs to start picking it up soon. Playing in a 3-5-2 would allow Werner to play on the left side of a striking duo and make runs in behind, stretching the back line, while either Tammy Abraham or Olivier Giroud picks the ball up in a more central position.

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Further, a five-man midfield allows Havertz to play in his favored No. 8/10 role (depending on the personnel. He obviously needs a breather against Wolves, so Chelsea could trot out Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount alongside the fullbacks. This would maintain consistency and class in the middle of the park while giving Havertz a much-needed break. As much as we’d like to believe the words coming out of the 21-year-old’s mouth, many simply don’t. The Blues’ record signing looks a few steps behind everyone else on the pitch as he continues to recover from COVID-19. Calling on him to start three games in the span of seven days would be detrimental to his long-term health and could also see his confidence dwindle.

Staying in the attack and midfield, a 3-5-2 would give Christian Pulisic more time to recover, should he not be ready to take on Wolves. The American suffered a small knock in the match against Leeds, shortly after coming back from his last injury. All Chelsea fans want is to see Pulisic back at full strength again. Captain America was a world beater on the wings when healthy and he’s sorely missed at the moment. If he is not 100 percent, leaving him on the bench or out of the 18 altogether gives him another six days of rest.

It’s also helpful because it prevents the Blues from being picked apart like they were against Everton. The Toffees exposed some poor passing in the final third and countered with agility, using high wingers to exploit the space in behind Chelsea’s fullbacks when in transition. Both Richarlison and Alex Iwobi made some darting runs into space where Reece James and Ben Chilwell should occupy. Nine times out of 10 the English duo tracked back and made trouble-saving tackles, all it takes is once to cost the Blues a game. Chelsea’s carelessness in possession around the 18-yard box almost cost the team big time, and it may still in contests to come.

An added bonus to rotating to the 3-5-2 is the opportunity to test out an additional centerback. Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta are the obvious frontrunners to slot in as the third centerhalf, but Lampard could consider giving a shot to Andreas Christensen or Fikayo Tomori, as well.

In the end, it doesn’t hurt to try something. Lampard simply got it wrong against Everton and the Blues paid the price. It’s no time for overreactions—things like this happen—but stuff need to change for the time being. Not having healthy wingers down the stretch can only hurt Chelsea in its current formation, especially at the expense of other stars. The ‘three at the back’ formations aren’t foreign to the Blues either. Lampard has turned to these tactics in times of dire need, which this seems to be. The 4-3-3 is still the preferred formation, regardless of the results a potential switch could yield. It’s gotten the Blues to where they are now, after all, and you don’t fix what isn’t broken.

What formation do you think the Blues should turn to in their time of need? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!