Chelsea’s change of shape in-game is key – Talk Chelsea

Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-0 on Tuesday evening of their first recreation again after the World Cup break. It was a a lot wanted win and clear sheet after stumbling kind and poor performances earlier than the break.

There was one key ingredient for me that I seen that basically helped Chelsea get the sting over Bournemouth and make it a reasonably straight ahead recreation from them in the long run, and that was the in-game change of form.

We’re beginning to see parts are available in to our play that has clearly been carried out by Graham Potter and his group, and the form is certainly one of them.

I additionally counted about 4 strikes within the first half that Chelsea made that had been fast one-touch passing that set us up for an assault inside seconds. We now have hardly ever seen this at Chelsea in current seasons, with our possession play typically being too gradual and too laboured.

It was refreshing to see some fast actions and gamers additionally taking over these harder and riskier passes; that’s what we have to be seeing way more, worrying much less about maintaining possession, and concentrating extra on our counter press after we do lose that possession.

However as I say, it was the in-game change of form that I actually seen as being key to the win. Potter is clearly seeking to play a again 4 because the mainstay going ahead, and on this recreation we lined up in a 4-3-3.

The midfield was fairly staggered, with Jorginho on the base, Denis Zakaria barely forward on the fitting, and Mason Mount forward once more on the left, having essentially the most attacking position out of the three. It labored very effectively, and offered good stability.

Out of possession we seemed a bit like this:

However in possession we seemed extra like this:

As you possibly can see, it seemed extra like a again three. Reece James nearly performs with no consideration midfielder, and Marc Cucurella drops deeper as extra of a centre again, or a slender full again. Mount was closely concerned within the assault, and Zakaria and Jorgi dropped barely.

One other key ingredient was Kai Havertz roaming in a free position. He performed as a 9, however he stored dropping in deep to get on the ball and get entangled in construct up play, and this drew defenders out of place, and allowed Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic to typically function in open areas. James becoming a member of the assault typically as effectively actually helped this, and most of our attacking menace got here from that facet.

It’s good to see ‘Potter-ball’ in the event you like, beginning to take form. The change of form is simply one of many many issues that he and his teaching group have been engaged on in coaching. And it’s evident additionally they have an actual emphasis now on shifting the ball ahead a lot faster and taking much less time with mundane possession play going backwards and sideways. There’s a time and place for each sorts of play in fact, and that’s why as at all times, stability is vital, as is determination making.

It’s all about getting numbers in attacking positions to penetrate, and the 4-3-3 permits for that quite a bit higher than different formations. Midfield is vital to this although, and I’d not be so assured with out the bodily and energetic presence of Zakaria in there bringing extra of a defensive consciousness.