Chelsea have been far too inconsistent under Maurizio Sarri’s tutelage in recent weeks with the Italian manager often revealing that he is failing to motivate his players to get the best performances out of them on a regular basis. It was once again on evidence last week when the Pensioners suffered a 4-0 hammering away at Bournemouth prior to their 5-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
Despite Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival on a loan deal from Juventus, the West London outfit still managed to draw a blank in front of goal in their match against the Cherries which will be a cause for significant concern. So let’s take a look at three tactical adjustments that Sarri should consider making to ensure that his Chelsea team can get the best out of their new Argentine centre-forward.
Play Willian In The Number 10 Position
Sarri has been quite stubborn with his formation and team selection this season. However, a great manager like the Chelsea boss should adapt his playing style according to the talent at his disposal. Hence, the Italian head coach should give up on playing with a midfield three and opt to deploy Willian in the number 10 position. The Brazilian would be far more effective playing on the shoulders of Higuain while Eden Hazard and Pedro can make an impact on the wide areas.
Moreover, it will also free up NGolo Kante to slot in as a defensive midfielder alongside Jorginho at the centre of the park.
Bombard The Opposition Penalty Box With Crosses From The Wide Areas
Chelsea enjoyed a lot of success in the recent past when they played their full-backs high up the pitch. A striker like Higuain has a habit of finding space in front of goal which means that he would thrive if he gets more support from the wide areas.
The likes of Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri, Cesar Azpilicueta and Victor Moses are all accustomed to playing in that role which should make things easy for Sarri to deploy this tactical change.
Play Giroud Alongside Higuain Up Top Against The ‘Lesser Teams’
The Pensioners have struggled to break down the ‘lesser sides’ in recent weeks as evidenced by their 0-0 draw at home against Southampton last month. Hence, Sarri could opt to play Olivier Giroud alongside Higuain to add more firepower up top.
Chelsea have been blessed with a lot of creative talents in midfield which means that they can make the most out of the opportunities created by going with two forwards up top.
