After being outwitted by his rival tactician again in September, Thomas Tuchel should flip the tables again on Pep Guardiola and devise the right sport plan towards Manchester Metropolis this weekend to maintain Chelsea 's faint title hopes alive.
A depressing December which noticed them declare simply three wins out of seven has left the Blues trailing Metropolis by 10 factors on the Premier League summit. In consequence, they'll barely afford a draw on the Etihad on Saturday if they've any real looking ambitions of changing into champions.
Tuchel, who received it horribly mistaken when Guardiola's males dominated his aspect on their strategy to a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier within the season, has quite a lot of tactical conundrums to weigh up forward of their journey to Manchester - and Sportsmail have run the rule over his greatest choices.
Persist with 4-2-2-2
Of their latest Carabao Cup semi-final victories over Tottenham, Tuchel switched to a new-look 4-2-2-2 system which ran easily in each legs.
Chelsea loved near-complete management of the ball throughout nearly 200 minutes of motion, and their highly effective efficiency within the opener warranted a extra snug win than 2-0.
Kai Havertz began as Romelu Lukaku's strike associate earlier than being changed by Timo Werner for almost all of the tie. Each setups labored effectively, with Havertz dovetailing the Belgian and typically dropping deep to hyperlink Chelsea's midfield to assault and Werner creating area by drifting out to the left.
But, the Blues' offensive brilliance got here on the expense of their backline, which significantly within the second leg appeared much more open than typical.
On the uncommon events Spurs had been in a position to launch counter-attacks, there have been gaping holes for the likes of Harry Kane and co to advance by. In the event that they had been up towards a extra assured, medical aspect, Chelsea might have conceded a good few on the night time.
Metropolis, the league's high scorers who're at the moment boasting an 11-match profitable run, are very a lot a workforce in-form and would possible exploit related vulnerabilities this weekend.
Thus, Tuchel's new setup might show too dangerous a proposition on the house of the runaway leaders.
Flood the midfield
Guardiola's groups are famend masters of the ball; outpressing, outpassing and outplaying nearly each opponent they lock horns with.
This attribute alone explains why a 4-2-2-2 formation, consisting of simply two central midfielders and a flat again 4, might fairly simply be overrun by Metropolis's dominant and free-flowing 4-2-3-1 system, during which Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva function as an interchanging trio in the midst of the park.
Packing the midfield with better numbers is a seemingly apparent resolution for Tuchel. The German might deploy Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic collectively and shift to extra of a 4-3-3.
Although whereas it was tried as a part of a 3-5-2 setup, beginning the three midfielders collectively backfired spectacularly for Tuchel of their earlier defeat.
With solely Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku urgent excessive up the pitch, Metropolis had been free to dictate the tempo of the sport, construct their swashbuckling assaults with out a lot problem and create a number of clear-cut alternatives they need to have taken.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek brings totally different qualities to the desk than the aforementioned trio and will be positioned barely additional ahead, which might intrigue Tuchel as a possible possibility.
Nevertheless, Chelsea have typically suffered with out the ball when Loftus-Cheek is chosen from the beginning, a barely regarding trait which could possibly be uncovered towards Metropolis.
Revert to 3-4-2-1
On the again finish of final season Chelsea recorded three essential victories over Metropolis to remain within the top-four race, attain the FA Cup last and win the Champions League. And all of these victories got here in Tuchel's most well-liked 3-4-2-1 format.
Notably in that European triumph out in Porto, when Guardiola additionally shot himself within the foot by taking part in and not using a holding midfielder, the Blues had been in a position to break up Metropolis's assaults with ease earlier than launching threatening replies of their very own.
With N'Golo Kante mopping up in midfield, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger on guard behind him and Ben Chilwell and Reece James parading down the flanks, Metropolis typically discovered themselves overwhelmed on the counter and annoyed within the last third.
Tuchel's smartest wager on Saturday would certainly be to revert again to this confirmed method which befuddled Guardiola on three events in 2020/21. Although Chilwell and James' respective absences at wing-back imply it might not be executed as successfully.
It might additionally go away the Chelsea head coach with a dilemma in assault. His false-nine system, with Kai Havertz and Timo Werner combining in assault, labored emphatically at occasions final season.
Fielding that frontline as soon as extra might yield an identical consequence, however it could require £97.5million centre-forward Romelu Lukaku to return to the bench.
Following his explosive Sky Italy interview final month, Lukaku lately returned to the aspect and Tuchel has typically singled him out for reward in an obvious try and raise his spirits and get him firing once more.
But final September, when Metropolis ran riot in west London, he discovered the onerous manner that the Belgian's lack of urgent can injury his aspect in matches when they might typically must defend with out the ball.
Werner's undervalued motion and tempo in behind shall be wanted if Chelsea are to play on the break as anticipated on the Etihad, and final season his partnership with Havertz helped propel them to glory.
If Tuchel needs to return to profitable methods towards Guardiola and hold on in there within the title race, demoting Lukaku could also be his greatest transfer.
