A solitary goal from Pedro secured a first victory of the summer, but – as always in pre-season – the performance was far more important than the result. Out of possession, Chelsea pressed extremely high as their manager ordered them to push up from the sidelines, while they kept the ball even better and played fast, pass-and-move football.
Admittedly the calibre of opposition was a long way short of what Sarri will encounter in the Premier League, but we’ve already learned plenty about how Chelsea will play next season…
No more back three
Sarri has wasted no time in reverting to a back four and Chelsea looked far more adventurous as a result without losing too much solidity at the back. Davide Zappacosta was the stand-out player, overlapping and attacking space relentlessly, but David Luiz and Ethan Ampadu – who looked like twins in the heart of defence – played with real authority and purpose. Chelsea held a very high line that occasionally looked susceptible to pace on the break, though reserve keeper Marcin Bulka did not need to make a single save until the 55th minute.
New role for Barkley
In Perth, he lined up as the most advanced of Chelsea’s midfield trio – the Marek Hamsik role, if you like – and was the link between the midfield and the attack. In his final full season on Merseyside, Barkley was used almost exclusively as a No.10 behind Romelu Lukaku, but here he was a little deeper and more of a box-to-box threat. He gave a lively performance, attacking space and offloading the ball nicely, and is probably a better fit for Sarri than other midfield options at the club.
Jorginho is the real deal
Even after just 45 minutes in the sticky heat of Perth, it is already noticeable how much his teammates trust him with the ball, and how eager he is to receive it. It took 19 minutes for Jorginho to misplace his first pass, this despite attempting dangerous, penetrative, line-breaking passes. He had no qualms in ordering around his teammates, calling for the ball and pointing where they needed to pass or move to next. Unbelievably, he completed 98 passes in the first half and the Blues lost a lot of control when he was subbed off.
‘Sarri-ball’ will be infinitely easier to implement with the Jorginho controlling everything in the middle, and he already feels like the team’s cerebral core. Cesc Fabregas fitted in nicely alongside him – expanding the play with his rangy passing – and when N’Golo Kante returns Chelsea will have a genuinely fearsome three-man midfield.
Morata lifeline?
Morata was full of running, hanging on the shoulder of the last man, splitting the centre-backs and darting in behind. He worked extremely hard and latched onto several through-balls, though Conte’s exit has not improved his confidence in front of goal and he fluffed a number of chances when through on goal. Sarri may still be drawn to Gonzalo Higuain’s more predatory instincts.
Hudson-Odoi and Pedro make their case
No comments:
Post a Comment