The Premier League title is Chelsea’s to lose, but the team has shown its weaknesses over the past games.
Astonishingly, Chelsea just completed its first midweek league fixture the past week thanks to comfortable scheduling. The soon-to-be champions walked out of the mini-Tourmalet with a positive result.
They dropped the game against Crystal Palace, but won the latter two against Manchester City and Bournemouth.
However, the past three games somewhat showcased the weaknesses of Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system. Chelsea struggled to play out from the back and defend counter-attacking situations.
Kante’s liabilities
N’Golo Kante is one of the best ball-winning midfielders in the world. While he is not gifted with physical abilities, his abilities to anticipate and position himself make him a rock wall in front of the defensive line. However, the 27-year-old struggles when tasked to play the ball.
Kante is a decent ball recycler, but he is not technically gifted to overcome the opponent’s high press. Per whoscored, Kante averages a humble one dribble per game, while losing the ball 2.2 times per game – sixth-most in the league among central midfielders.
While Chelsea is happy to sit back and invite opponents to charge forward, they cannot afford losing possession cheaply. This was showcased in the Manchester City game this past week, and the Manchester United game in the FA Cup.
Ander Herrera’s red card in the 35th minute spoiled United’s game plan. The Red Devils targeted Kante, pressing him whenever he received the ball facing his own goal. The Frenchman’s distribution was nervy at best. Per whoscored, before Herrera’s dismissal, Kante committed three turnovers and completed only 13 forward passes.
Most of the time, he reluctantly released the ball to Marcos Alonso, who would then be dispossessed or forced to play a long ball with the pressure from Antonio Valencia and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Manchester City again targeted Kante, who doesn’t receive much help from a more advanced Cesc Fabregas. Kante didn’t have much choice than to nervously play the ball to Alonso, who would soon run out of options because of the opponent’s high press. Per whoscored, Alonso completed only two of his seven long ball attempts during the City game.
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Chelsea might be content to sit deep, but there will be situations when they have to play from the back. Kante’s limited ball-playing skills may hurt the team, especially playing against press-minded sides in the Champions League.
Defending against counter-attacking situations
Chelsea is known for its lethal counter-attacking style of play, but Antonio Conte’s team is not defending well against such situations. The defenders are required to go one-on-one with the strikers, and David Luiz and Gary Cahill both struggle to deal with pacey wingers.
Luiz and Cahill are stopper-style center-backs, who prefer to intercept, cutting the supply to the opposing striker. Per whoscored, both register a combined 10 clearances per game, more than the rest of the defenders.
Luiz is second in interceptions per game behind the workhorse Kante, while Cahill is first in blocks per game. However, the duo don’t defend well when the opposing striker has the ball at their feet. Luiz makes a lot of unnecessary charges, which leaves a ton of space behind him.
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Meanwhile, Cahill is reluctant to go for the ball because of his lack of pace, which has exposed the Blues’ defensive line the past season. Ninety turbulent seconds against Crystal Palace exposed the Blues’ weaknesses.
Neither Cahill or Luiz were aggressive enough to prevent Wilfred Zaha from cutting inside to cancel Fabregas’ opener. A mere minute later, Luiz unsuccessfully challenged Christian Benteke, clashing with the chasing Kante. Cahill, left in the one-on-two situation, succumbed.
Eight days later, Chelsea might secure a comfortable win against Bournemouth, but the team had anxious moments. In the 16th minute, Jack Wilshere played a through ball to Ryan Fraser. Luiz and Cahill were caught in possession, but the former was able to force the opponent into a wide shot.
Joshua King’s consolation goal also came from the left side. Luiz vacated his position, causing a moment of hesitation for Cahill, who was already beaten in the footrace. The former Manchester United prodigy might have been lucky with the deflected shot, but it can’t be denied both of the defenders didn’t do their jobs properly.
Azpilicueta is solid on the right side, but Cahill and Luiz aren’t. Per squawka, Cahill has been successful only 55 percent of his tackles, while Luiz has completed a dismal 39 percent. Chelsea have failed to register a clean sheet in the past nine games because of their inability to defend set-pieces and counter attacks.
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Conclusion
The Premier League title is Chelsea’s to lose, but the team will still undergo a busy summer. Fabregas might leave the team seeking for more playing time, and Conte will need to upgrade his back three.