CHELSEA travel to Anfield to take on league leaders Liverpool on Sunday in the biggest game of this weekend’s Premier League action.
And although the Blues may be going into the game as underdogs, they could shock their Merseyside opponents with their high-risk tactics.
Enzo Maresca has already whipped his side into shape since coming through the door in SW6 this summer.
And he can really lay down a marker on Sunday by luring Liverpool into the ultimate game of chicken with his favoured “tension-ball” tactics.
While Liverpool’s high press tactics under Arne Slot could either play right into Chelsea‘s hands or expose the Blues’ plans.
Inverted full-backs
Maresca has completely changed the way Chelsea play since arriving from Leicester and one his biggest tactical tweaks is playing with an inverted full-back.
In the current system it tends to be Malo Gusto who drifts away from his traditional full-back position and into midfield to offer more numbers in the middle of the park.
That decision is ultimately to allow the Blues to have an overload in midfield – meaning they should almost always outnumber their opponents in central areas.
Gusto playing more central allows him to play alongside Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo to create a box-like four in midfield.
That would allow Chelsea one more central player than Liverpool, with Slot usually opting for a three of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.
However, it can also expose Chelsea on the wings, with Gusto leaving his flank and leaving Maresca’s side with gaps in wide areas.
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Ultimate game of chicken
That swings-and-roundabouts approach of leaving yourself vulnerable in wide areas to win the midfield battle is exactly what could create a game of chicken at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool always aim to press high and did so with a four-man press during their thrashing of Man Utd earlier in the season.
That intense press is where the game of chicken begins, with Liverpool hoping to gamble on Chelsea being unable to play out from the back without Gusto as an extra option in defence.
If Chelsea can bypass that press then they will be able make use of their midfield overload and get the better of Liverpool.
If they can’t do that, then they’ll likely run themselves into all kinds of trouble against one of the best pressing teams in the league.
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Tension-ball
Chelsea’s overloading plans aren’t just for playing out of the back, Maresca wants it to happen all over the pitch.
The Italian regularly talks about having “tension” across the pitch as a way to help his players “jump” into space.
In short, that means he wants his technically gifted players to invite pressure onto themselves so that they can ping the ball away to players in space in other parts of the overload.
Maresca wants his players to effectively drag the opposition out of position and then occupy those spaces themselves, moving fast to take advantage of the spaces they’re vacating.
It’s a high-risk high-reward way of playing and one that will certainly be tested to its limits against a very strong Liverpool team.
In fact, Chelsea fans can expect multiple moments on Sunday where they will want to watch through their fingers as their side plays with fire in the midfield.
However, if they can get it right – as they have done on most occasions this season – they could well spring a surprise on Slot’s men.
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