Chelsea fans got their first peak behind the preseason curtain as the Blues defeated Bournemouth 2-1. While some will have kept an eye out for the formation or the best strikers, others might be watching the battle for the fourth midfield spot.
The battle for the fourth midfield spot at Chelsea is much hotter than expected. Almost everyone with a chance turned up, but who might win ultimately?
First of all, two things seem true. The first is that Thomas Tuchel loves his double pivot, which means there will be two starting spots and likely two in depth before anyone is made into a makeshift midfielder. The second is that three of those spots are indisputably N’Golo Kante’s, Jorginho’s, and Mateo Kovacic’s. Billy Gilmour had that fourth spot last season and barely played even when Kovacic was injured. He’s out on loan now and that spot is up for grabs by a plethora of players.
Before fans got to see any of preseason, the knee jerk reaction would have been for Conor Gallagher. If Kovacic and Jorginho have the more similar skillsets, then Gallagher has the one most in line with Kante. He’s all energy off the ball like Kante and even like Mason Mount, but he lacks the ability on the ball. He was the only player to go the full 90 in the friendly and by the end it did start to show. Overall though, while talented, he may still need refining that is better found on loan than at Chelsea.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley may be the next most likely and it is easier to discuss the two together. Against Bournemouth, both came on as Chelsea shifted to more of a 3-1-4-2 with those two either side of Gallagher. But, we’re talking about those double pivot positions and while both could do a job on paper, that position seems suited to neither perfectly. Barkley is too much of an attacker and Loftus-Cheek, even with his injury still weighing on him, wants to take the game to the opponent. Those pivot spots don’t allow for that much and both may be more likely sold or loaned than anything else.
After that comes the two surprise packages. The first and biggest surprise has to be Danny Drinkwater. The midfielder looked like he did in Leicester’s title win. It is easily the best game he’s had in a Chelsea shirt. He was unlucky not to have more assists and, perhaps more than anything else, the pivot could do with someone making those long Hollywood passes. It would be absolutely crazy for him to make it back, but it was somewhat crazy Victor Moses did a few years ago as well.
The other possibly crazy return story is Lewis Baker. Baker was easily the best player the academy had produced in his time, but a series of poor loans and injuries has taken his shine off. You wouldn’t know it from Bournemouth, however, as he started out of position and put absolutely nothing wrong. He was completely controlled on the ball and pressure had no effect on him at all. He was at centerback, but if he can do that in his natural midfield as well he can be a solid player to keep around next year.
Tuchel will have a few decisions to make. With two more preseason friendlies against Arsenal and Tottenham to go, he has a few more chances to see who might be worth keeping around for that fourth spot.