The international break hit at the perfect time for some clubs with the multi-week four-match window providing time for managers to get players fit and work on new tactics. In particular, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso had time to adjust after a rocky start with the Blues saw them fail to win three league matches in a row before the internationals. Since the return to domestic play, the team have looked much better all around and kept a first league clean sheet in over 20 attempts in a win over Everton at the weekend. We’ll be diving into the big changes we have seen in the tactical setup that has allowed the players to fully capitalise on their abilities.
Xabi Alonso’s Tactical Change Gets Chelsea Firing
The Back Line
One major change is the defensive shape and where players slot in. Early in the campaign, it was a clear back three at almost all points. This pushed Levi Colwill a bit wider and took him largely out of the build-up phase despite his great passing ability. This has been adjusted starting with the 5-1 win over Bournemouth and seen a bit more against the Toffees.
Josh Acheampong’s heat map shows him as a more natural right-back as opposed to just a right-centre back. Colwill instead of being pushed wide at all times, is now in a more traditional left centre-back of a two-man centre-back pairing. Maxence Lacroix is less central and pushed more to the right.
It’s not a permanent back four as Jorrel Hato on the left had the heat map of a left wing-back and a left-back, with the defensive pivot sometimes coming deep to add an option. What’s clear is the team isn’t using the less effective back five setup and has embraced something a bit more fluid that requires Acheampong to handle both wide CB and right-back duties depending on the situation.
There are obvious questions about whether this was always Alonso’s plan but the early midfield injuries forced him into a deeper five, but we may never get an answer to that. Whatever the reasoning, it has worked, the Blues let in an unlucky set piece goal against the Cherries before keeping a resilient clean sheet at the weekend.
Average Positions
Fluidity is the name of the game. In the season opener against Fulham, Chelsea’s average position was a very rigid 3-4-3. The pivot played close together, the front three stayed narrow, and the width was provided by wing-backs. It’s a very simple setup that Alonso has used in the past, but this base proved less effective as matches went by, ending with the loss to Brentford before the international break.
By comparison, the team’s average positions against Everton were far more volatile and fluid. It does still look like a back three at points with Caicedo trusted in the middle to handle vast spaces alone, allowing Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, and Hato to overload on the left. Pedro Neto ends up very high on the right to spread the back line with Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer a bit more central, although Pedro drifts to the left as an option at times.
This is a much tougher scenario for the opposition to defend, players are moving and interchanging, with space allowed for technicians like Caicedo or Palmer to cause damage.
This was changed from what was used against the Cherries as the manager adjusts to the opponent and personnel. Pep Chavarria started that one in what was a more natural back four, the pivot stayed closer together, trusting Chavarria to pair up with Rogers and Pedro on the left with Palmer central and Neto again holding width on the right.
Out of Possession
The counter-press is the way to go in the modern Premier League. Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion are two of the term’s early leaders thanks to their impressive out-of-possession shape. The Seagulls particularly have been incredible at pressing high and causing high turnovers while the Gunners are a bit better at shielding and stopping teams from getting at their goal.
Early in the season, the Blues were struggling to press when the ball turned over. Rogers on the left was leaving a lot to be desired as the back five left space for opponents to exploit. The midfield injury issues added to this as the pivot wasn’t offering enough protection to make up for a poor press from some of the attackers
This has been changed post-internationals to a 4-4-2 out of possession shape with Palmer and Pedro up top and a block of four in behind making it easier for the wingers to help the full-backs. The pivot have more defined roles to protect the back four and all in all, the team have looked far more defensively solid since adopting this new shape.
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