Leicester vs Chelsea: Three things to look for as Premier League returns
2. Marauding wingbacks and supporting cast
In the latest iteration of football, fullbacks and wingbacks have an increasingly important role. A team, one could say, is only as good as its wide defenders, who often tuck inside to provide central support—a la Joao Cancelo—or assist the attack by holding width and whipping in crosses. Tuchel’s system, predictably, puts a lot of emphasis on the Chelsea fullbacks, and for their part, both Reece James and Ben Chilwell have delivered this season.
Even after discounting the seven league goals they share between them thus far this campaign, it is evident how high Tuchel wants his wingbacks to play. James and Chilwell average 39.2 and 36 touches in the attacking third this season, the highest and second-highest numbers, respectively, amongst defenders who have played at least 450 minutes. The Chelsea pair is averaging the most and the second-most touches in the attacking penalty area among defenders; James, with 28 touches in the opposition box, leads the list of his peers outright.
Given the kind of form they are in, it is hard to overlook either James or Chilwell for a spot in the Chelsea starting XI at the moment. The pair should undoubtedly be the first names on the team sheet against Leicester. Who Tuchel picks in attack to compliment them is where the enigma lies.
Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Lukaku are seemingly fit again, so the Blues’ boss will have a range of options to select for his front three spots. Does that mean Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose relationship with Chilwell on the left side of the Chelsea attack seemed to be blossoming, the understanding between the pair increasing, gets benched? Does Tuchel stick with wide forwards while asking his wingbacks to tuck inside to provide central support and make underlapping runs? How Chelsea breaks the Foxes down might come down to the system Tuchel chooses to play and the personnel he decides to deploy. Nevertheless, what is almost certain at this point is that both James and Chilwell will play a central role in his grand design—no matter the outcome.