Chelsea's return to playing with three defenders has helped Graham Potter's team, and it may set the tone for how they play the rest of the season.
Graham Potter will have experienced some minor alleviation in March 2023. Before hosting Leeds United at Stamford Bridge in 2022, Chelsea had only achieved one victory and four goals in 11 games, and despite some stability in his position, the pressure was still very much on to regain some momentum.
Wesley Fofana's goal gave Potter's team a slim victory over Leeds before they went on to beat Borussia Dortmund and beat Leicester City to advance in the Champions League. Even though they were only able to draw with Everton, the Blues still managed to go a whole month without losing before the final stretch of 11 Premier League games and their European quarterfinal matchup with Real Madrid.
Early in Potter's term, there was a push for Chelsea to switch to a four-at-the-back formation, and the World Cup break marked a turning point where the Blues manager felt secure enough to use it more frequently. However the switch back to a three-central defender defense coincided with Chelsea's fortunes beginning to improve.
Football.london examines the players who have benefited and suffered as a result of the change.
Winners
Ben Chilwell, a Chelsea defender, has played well since making a full recovery from an injury, but it is always encouraging to see him allowed lots of leeway to enter the box of the opponent. With a score against his former team Leicester, he calmed the jeers, and the Blues would only gain if the impact could be prolonged. Reece James will probably experience comparable advantages, which is also not a bad thing.
In Kai Havertz Even though two of the goals came from the penalty spot, three goals in as many games speaks for itself, and Havertz has seemed more at ease since his role was switched from directly leading the line. Now that the wingbacks are providing width, the Germans can focus their attacking support more narrowly, assigning players like Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk the duty of testing the opposition's backline while giving Havertz and Joao Felix the freedom to support and create from behind.
Losers
It will be the case for other wingers as well because there will only be room for one forward if Havertz and Felix are kept as the main two players.
Mason Mount - Although Mount has succeeded in similar formations in the past, his performance this year has probably kept him off the attacking and midfield lines. The England international had the chance to play between the lines or on the wing in a 4-3-3 formation, but now he is more intensely vying for the final slot in the forward three and has little chance of moving into the midfield two.
Conor Gallagher - Although the former Crystal Palace loanee is still getting opportunities off the bench, the elimination of one midfield position will undoubtedly reduce his overall playing time. For the Blues, Enzo Fernandez is unstoppable and forging a solid relationship with Mateo Kovacic. Anybody's chances will be harmed by N'Golo Kante's injury comeback, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher might find it difficult to get starts in the center of the field.
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