Chelsea’s 2022/23 team of the season: 3-4-2-1 featuring Enzo

Kalidou Koulibaly, No. 26, Left centerback, Senegal

Koulibaly said when he signed for Chelsea that he wanted to be the security of the team. To be fair to him, he meant well, but he also said that he’d need some time to adapt to the Premier League. He never quite became the security of the team in the actual sense of the word, but he did take some time to adapt to the Premier League. His better performances in the league coincided with Potter moving him to the center of the back three, away from left centerback where he was. At some point during the season, there were reports about him being one of the players to be sold this summer.

Potter’s usage of the Senegalese in a back three affected his performances greatly, which should not be surprising because a defender like him should play in the center of a back three, or in a back four. The role of wide centerbacks in a back three is vastly different from the role of centerbacks in a back four, and often it’s CBs that have the abilities to succeed as fullbacks that excel in wide centerback roles in a back three. Koulibaly did OK this season, as he won 77% of his tackles attempted and made 1.3 interceptions per game. He won 59% of the ground duels he contested, but won just 54% of his aerial duels. His passing wasn’t great, completing 44% of his long balls and averaging an 87% passing success rate. His passing and aerial numbers weren’t better in the Champions League, though his defensive numbers were good.