Chelsea switched to a 343 formation to take on Manchester United, and while it didn’t lead to any goals, it did earn us a draw at Old Trafford where we had been battered 4-0 last season, and there’s no denying it brought the best out of some of our players.
Wing backs often benefit the most from the freedom of a 343, and that was the case on Saturday as Reece James and Ben Chilwell surged forward to support the attack.
James Robson was reporting on the game for the Evening Standard, and his quotes on the pair summed up their impact perfectly:
“In Ben Chilwell and Reece James, Chelsea have to modern-day wide defenders, who attack with speed and deliver with real quality. They pinned back their Manchester United counterparts on Saturday – and we’re both responsible for Chelsea’s two best openings.”
It’s not certain whether the manager will stick with this system for the games to come, but there’s no doubting it’s going to become a regular tool to have in the armoury, allowing Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James to play at the same time, and also covering Thiago Silva’s lack of pace better.
All that remains is to configure the attacking setup better, and we’ll be onto a winner.
