Monday 24 October 2016 05:03, UK
Antonio Conte's switch to a 3-4-3 formation has been a huge success for Chelsea, with their 4-0 win over Manchester United further evidence of the strengths of their new system. Peter Smith takes a look at the impact of the change and why it's working for Chelsea…
"I have to solve the situation," Antonio Conte said, after seeing his Chelsea side blown away 3-0 at Arsenal at the end of September. "In every game, we are conceding two goals minimum. Two at the back, three at the back, four at the back, I don't care. I just have to solve this."
As it turned out, he was already well on the way to doing just that.
Midway through the second half at the Emirates, three goals behind and with nothing to lose, Conte switched from a 4-1-4-1 formation to 3-4-3. Chelsea haven't looked back since.
After shipping nine goals in their four previous games - including damaging Premier League defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal - Conte's side have put together three clean sheets, and secured wins over Hull City, Leicester City and, emphatically on Sunday, Manchester United.
The new system has given their defence a new-found solidity, with Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kante protecting Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz, while, in attack, Eden Hazard has been relieved of his defensive duties, freeing him up to combine with Diego Costa in central areas.
Since the change in formation, Chelsea are scoring more and creating more openings, while facing fewer dangerous shots and shutting out the opposition at the other end.
It's a system Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville likes - but one he feels Conte has been forced to turn to, given the players he has in his squad. Indeed, the 3-4-3 appears to bolster areas where Chelsea are weak and maximise their strengths.
"I used to think 3-4-3 was the hardest system to play against," Neville told Sky Sports. "But Conte has probably gone to that system out of necessity. The minute he signed David Luiz, he probably had to go to a back three - because it had been proven in the previous time David Luiz was at Chelsea he couldn't play with John Terry and he couldn't play with Gary Cahill.
I used to think 3-4-3 was the hardest system to play against.
"Conte has to get David Luiz into the team because he signed him for such a big fee [£30m] but David Luiz looks like he needs players alongside him. I think that helps Cahill as well, who hasn't had the best last few weeks.
"It also gets Kante and Matic together in midfield in front of them. If you've got a back three and those two in front, they have extra protection. And, most importantly, it gives Hazard the free reign not to have to come back and defend. And he's a massive threat."
Neville also explained the difficulties of switching to a three-at-the-back system. With so many players affected by the change, it takes time to perfect. Fortunately for Chelsea, time is something they have this season, with no European competition involvement.
While Pep Guardiola's Manchester City - aiming to bounce back from a midweek thrashing at Barcelona - looked shaky earlier on Sunday in their first outing with three in defence, Conte has been rigorously drilling his players in their new formation.
"I expect a tactical game," Conte had said before kick-off. "We worked this week to prepare for this game very well, also on the tactical aspect. This is a big game but we are ready because we worked very well this week." Afterwards he said his players deserved their big win for their commitment to his sessions at their Cobham training base.
Conte won three Serie A titles and two Italian cups playing three in defence with Juventus and was expected to adopt the tactic as soon as he arrived in west London. He began with a traditional four-man backline but, given Chelsea's success since their switch, Neville believes the players will be right behind the Italian's favoured approach.
"When a new manager comes in, the players have got to trust the manager," he said. "The only way you can do that is by getting a result in a big game and to see the training ground work coming to fruition.
"Even though he's an experienced manager, Conte will go home on Sunday night knowing that's a big moment. A big obstacle overcome. His players can trust him a lot more and there will be a bond getting closer together about the work they're doing."
Of course, tactics and formations aren't everything. Thierry Henry praised the discipline of Victor Moses, operating in an unfamiliar right wing-back role, and lauded the ability of goalscorer Hazard.
The Sky Sports pundit also praised the work rate of Chelsea's players, some of whom he suggested may have been out to prove a point against their former boss Jose Mourinho.
The Blues certainly put in the hard yards. They out-ran their visitors by a remarkable 8.54km and Conte's cries of "Go, go, go!" as he urged his forwards to close down Manchester United's defenders late on in the game illustrated their approach.
But there's no question Conte's tactical intervention has had an impact at Chelsea.
The Italian has previously been quoted as saying: "My preferred system is the one that permits my team to win". He appears to have found the right formula for now.
