The Premier League has witnessed many fluctuations in recent times, especially in the transfer market when the total spending of clubs exceeded 3.4 billion pounds. Chelsea is one of the most active teams with 340 million pounds for 13 new players.
The large investment helps the Chelsea squad to be more balanced than in previous seasons under Todd Boehly. Instead of focusing too much on potential young players, The Blues have added experienced players. The change in personnel also entails adjustments in coach Xabi Alonso's operation.
Chelsea have won all 2 of their first Premier League matches against Fulham and Brighton. They scored 7 goals but also conceded 5 times, creating 2 dramatic matches.
The noteworthy thing lies in the way Chelsea won. Alonso's team did not control the ball much, even only kept 25% of the ball in the match against Brighton - the lowest in Chelsea's history in the Premier League. Against Fulham, their ball possession rate was also only at 38%.
However, Chelsea still created great killing power in ball possession periods. After 2 rounds, they lead the scoring list in the Premier League with 7 goals, of which 5 were scored in the first half. Alonso's attacking trio quickly showed the ability to take advantage of space and switch states at high speed.
Alonso is not too concerned about ball possession figures. After the victory over Brighton, he said that this data does not determine how a team must play. However, the 25% ratio still raises a big question, especially when Chelsea has to face opponents who are capable of exploiting their ceding of match control.
Of course, Alonso has reason to choose a pragmatic option. Chelsea soon took the lead against both Fulham and Brighton, helping them not necessarily have to control the ball to find a goal. After having an advantage, falling deep and waiting for counter-attack opportunities becomes a reasonable choice.
Midfield personnel also have a significant impact on the way The Blues operate. Enzo Fernandez has left the club, while Moises Caicedo is not yet able to play. Romeo Lavia currently plays the role of defensive midfielder, with Reece James supporting behind. Cole Palmer also has to retreat deeper to participate in the ball deployment process, but his coverage ability cannot compare with a pure central midfielder.
Therefore, Chelsea is making the most of the speed and mobility of the attack. Against Brighton, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made up to 97% of passes directly forward. This deployment helps Chelsea quickly put the ball on the opponent's half of the field.
But can that formula help Chelsea compete for the championship throughout the season?
Premier League history shows that this is not an easy task. Since Opta started statistics, only Everton in the 2004-2005 season and Leicester in the 2015-2016 season have been in the top 4 with an average ball possession rate of less than 50%. In the context of modern football increasingly emphasizing the ability to control the game, Chelsea finds it difficult to maintain this playing style against any opponent.
The inability to recruit Lamine Camara of Monaco at the end of the transfer window also caused Alonso to lack a midfielder capable of helping the team control the match better. However, Chelsea does not have to play in European cups this season, thereby having more time to train and recover.
The match against Arsenal at the Emirates will be the clearest test for Chelsea. Arsenal is an opponent with much better match control than Fulham or Brighton.
