Chelsea’s latest defensive prodigy: What’s next for Marc Guehi?

The Good and the Bad

3,858 and 21: two numbers that instantly catch the eye in the context of Guehi and his season at Swansea. The first one – 3,858 – is the minutes amassed by the 20-year-old playing as a left centerback for the Swans last term. The second – 21 – the number of clean sheets Cooper’s side managed to keep throughout the Championship season – the caveat here being that that very much was a team effort.

Nonetheless, a few things are clear right away. Guehi was a consistent part of the division’s meanest defense, one, which under different circumstances, might’ve secured a return to the top division. Guehi also spent the largest share of minutes playing as a left-sided centerback in a back-three of a possession-focused system – one which Thomas Tuchel has used almost exclusively so far during his Chelsea stint.

In Tuchel’s Chelsea last season, Antonio Rudiger played the role of the left centerback. It required him to form a compact backline in defense, stop attackers in transition, and bring the ball forward in attack, either through passing or carrying. Should Tuchel stick with the same system next term, the player deployed in that role will be asked to do the same. As such, it is imperative that whoever plays the position is a good ball carrier and passer, apart from also being a solid defender.

Using Wyscout data from last season, we can ascertain how good of a passer and dribbler Guehi is. Watching his highlights, and one can easily detect a good passing ability and range. Furthermore, Guehi can pass with both feet, with one pass from his weak left foot last season especially making the rounds on the Chelsea social circles.

However, numbers reveal that there is room for improvement in that department. The 20-year-old completed 41 passes per 90 last season with an accuracy of 84.2 percent, which is not of an elite level. Moreover, 5.58 of those passes were long with nearly one out of two finding its intended target. Guehi also attempted 17.59 forward passes per 90 and 4.98 passes into the final third per 90 but fell short in terms of accuracy, once again. His relatively low passing accuracy is also reflected in his Smarterscout profile, with his ball retention rated well below average (36). Guehi clearly thinks forward in terms of his passing but is yet lacking a killer instinct.

Guehi’s biggest strength is his ball carrying. He completed 0.95 dribbles and made 1.21 progressive runs per 90 last season. Smarterscout also rates his dribbling at 73 – a measure that suggests he is well above average. Meanwhile, he is also rated high in terms of defending quality (65) and defending quantity (91), adjusted for a Premier League standard. He is also a good dueler with (79) and without (68) the ball, which leads Smarterscout to give the following assessment: “Great defending and skill in ground duels, but so-so in ball retention.”