Chelsea lost their first game since the 29th August when Liverpool beat them 2-1 last weekend. However, Enzo Maresca’s side put a good performance in, holding 57% possession, limiting their opponents to just nine shots, and achieving a pass completion of 88.1% (the best at Anfield since 2004/05).
The Blues’ game plan to control the game, build out from the back, and slow the match down worked very well, especially in the first half, creating plenty of chances around the box, just lacking the final pass or action to turn those into goals.
One change Maresca did make at half-time was subbing off Jadon Sancho for Pedro Neto, as the game needed the speed out wide, and to attack at pace, whereas the Englishman was more willing to slow it down at times, and look to find the perfect pass into the box.
Sancho's performance against Liverpool
Sancho played 45 minutes against the Reds, getting 26 touches in the game, making 18/21 accurate passes, and completing his one and only long ball. However, the 24-year-old attempted three dribbles, completing zero, attempted three ground duels, completing zero, and lost possession seven times.
The introduction of Neto was the correct decision by Maresca, adding a bit more pace and directness out wide. The Portugal international played 45 minutes, managing 30 touches, completing 17/21 passes, but making three key passes, completing two of three crosses and winning two duels.
The English winger has made a good start to life at Chelsea since joining this summer, making five appearances and providing three assists.
Sancho provided the assist for Christopher Nkunku’s winner against Bournemouth on his debut and has shown his creative passing range and ability to find box entries from wide areas.
Chelsea face Panathinaikos next in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night, and Maresca has named his squad. Sancho is among it but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start…
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Chelsea team news to face Panathinaikos
The Chelsea squad to face Panathinaikos on Thursday will be without the likes of Marcus Bettinelli, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer, who have all remained at Cobham, not travelling to Greece, as they are not registered to compete in this stage of the UEFA Conference League.
However, there will be others missing too, as Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, Reece James, and Malo Gusto have also stayed in England, not travelling with the squad for their mid-week game.
These omissions could see Benoit Badiashile starting at left centre-back in Colwill’s absence, Enzo Fernández playing in a deeper midfield role with no Lavia or Caicedo, a start for Christopher Nkunku upfront with Jackson not available for selection, and a likely spot for Axel Disasi at right-back, with both Gusto and James not in Greece.
The entire travelling squad consists of Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, and Lucas Bergstrom in goal while Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Axel Disiasi and Renato Veiga make up the defensive positions.
In midfield, Enzo Fernández, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Samuel Rak-Sakyi have been named. In attack there are spots for Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Neto, João Félix, Nkunku, Sancho, Tyrqiue George, Marc Guiu, and 17-year-old, Shumaira Mhueka.
Some other changes that can be expected in the starting XI to face Panathinaikos on Thursday night include Neto for Madueke on the right wing, Dewsbury-Hall and Felix in the advanced number eight/ten roles, Veiga starting at left-back, and Jorgensen between the sticks in place of Sanchez.
But there is one more change Maresca could make. That’s leaving out Sancho for the “Ukrainian Neymar” – as he was described by scout Jacek Kulig – on the left.
Why Mudryk needs to be unleashed
Since joining the club in January 2023, for a fee of around £62m plus £27m of potential add-ons from Shakhtar Donetsk, Mykhailo Mudryk has made 66 appearances for the Blues, scoring seven goals, providing seven assists, and playing 3,188 minutes of football.
The Ukrainian has found himself benched by the likes of Sancho and Neto this season, but his metrics from the start of this campaign have actually been quite good, and this could now be the time for Maresca to trust him and give him a run in the side.
Goals
0.17
0.00
Assists
0.34
0.79
xAG
0.58
0.32
Progressive Carries
6.32
5.00
Progressive Passes
3.16
5.00
Shots Total
1.86
0.26
Key Passes
2.11
2.35
Shot-Creating Actions
4.21
4.12
Successful Take-Ons
1.58
3.53
Tackles + Interceptions
0.50
0.33
Sancho has clearly offered slightly better creative numbers this season so far, providing more assists (0.79 per 90), better passing metrics with five progressive passes per 90, and 2.35 key passes per 90, whilst also completing 3.53 successful take-ons per 90 too.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Mudryk, on the other hand, has been more of a goal threat himself, scoring 0.17 goals per 90, and taking 1.86 shots per 90. He has also added 6.32 progressive carries per 90 – certainly Neymar-esque – helping to get the team forwards, whilst also creating for others, with 0.58 xAG (expected assisted goals), and 4.21 shot-creating actions per 90.
Lastly, defensive actions and work rate are important to Maresca in his wingers, having the ability to get up and down the pitch, providing width in attack, but also tracking their runners on the defensive end. The Ukraine star has shown this by making 0.50 tackles + interceptions per 90, compared to the 0.33 of Sancho so far this season.
Consistency is the attacker’s biggest problem, and if Maresca does give him a chance, he has to show he can perform consistently throughout the 90 minutes, rather than having good spells during a game, but disappearing for other periods.
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