Are Chelsea Making a Move Towards a False 9?

During the summer transfer window, Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea picked up numerous talents such as Eden Hazard and Oscar, however they didn't make one signing to bolster the front line. This was criticised quite a bit by the media, especially considering the inconsistency of Fernando Torres after his £50m move from Liverpool, and the pressure of his cost was even greater now that he is even more important after the departure of Didier Drogba.

Some of the players they have signed haven't even played at the Stamford Bridge yet, names such as Kevin De Bruyne and Marko Marin, whilst players such as Victor Moses have seen most of the action from the bench, despite the ex-Wigan winger's impact in a number of matches already this season.


In their match against Juventus at Turin in the Champions League match, Di Matteo didn't field the £50m striker, and opted for the Belgian Eden Hazard to start up front, with Oscar, Mata and Azpilicueta creating a bank of 3 behind him.

This seemed to be a bad decision on paper, since they lost by three goals to nil against a great Juve defence of Chiellini, Bonucci and Barzagli, but they lost the game in not their attack, but in other areas of the pitch. Hazard played the false 9 role perfectly well, even probably better than Torres would, and the Belgian linked up well with the 3 behind him, his movement was excellent and created chances which, had they been converted, would have seen the scoreline in Chelsea's favour.

The 6 midfielders showed as Chelsea had more possession against the home side, who were set out in a 3-5-2, but they also didn't suffer from a lack of shots (which is a problem for most sides who aren't with a natural striker) and they made 11 throughout the match, however, their lack of a finisher showed, as they made just two of those 11 on target at just 18%.

I thought that Hazard linked well with the bank of 3 coming in behind him, especially with Mata, and they did have a few chances to score however Buffon proved great as always. They were never going to get many chances either, against Juve's back 3 who all had good games, especially Chiellini, who I thought was magnificent.

In the potential system, Hazard could well be seen dropping deep as a false 9 does, whilst the 3 number 10s support him and move ahead in a fluid system of interchanging positions and quick passing moves. In the Belgian's final season at Lille, he had a very impressive record which made him more known to the world, as he scored 20 goals in 38 league matches, along with 15 assists, a goal every 1.9 matches and an assist every 2.5 - and from the attacking midfield spot following the departures of Yohan Cabaye and Gervinho. His record there shows that he is very capable of making a significant goalscoring contribution from a position which isn't seen as a reliable source of goals (despite Messi's record). Mata is also having a good season in front of goal as well, despite playing in the 3 of Di Matteo's 4-2-3-1, the Spaniard has scored 4 goals in the 10 games as well as making 6 assists.

These goalscoring contributions from areas other than the striker are vital when playing with a false 9, Luciano Spalletti's Roma were the first team to field a false 9 with Totti, and he had a goalscoring threat in Mirko Vucinic who was positioned on the flank as an inside forward. The Spain side clearly lacked this in the Euro 2012 tournament and they didn't play well until the final match because of it.

In Mata, Moses, Oscar, Marin and others, Di Matteo has players who are capable of all chipping in with goals from behind the striker, and they are all comfortable in overtaking the forward when the Belgian drops deep to maintain that 3-1 at the top.

If the two wide men in the '3' act as inside forwards to support Hazard, then they will also bring in Cole and Azipilicueta (I feel he has more of an attacking presence than Ivanovic) into the ventures forward, which would give the side width whilst they still have many in the centre. The left-back in particular is very effective in attacking (he started his career as a striker) and he could be an important figure in this system.

The Possible System

The system wouldn't be completely new to the side either, Torres played this role at times last campaign, the long time it takes to adapt to a more complex system would not be as influential in the team. However, with the season 10 matches in, is it too late for Di Matteo to implement a different system? Even if it could suit the side more than the current one, it would definitely be a risk, especially after their poor performance with Hazard up front in Turin. You also have to take in to consideration the fan's opinion, midfielders in attack are uncommon in England, and if English fans aren't used to something and it proves to be not effective, then they will get to criticising that very quickly and in numbers too, if Di Matteo persists to use it and it isn't good initially, the pressure on his job will definitely increase.

I would be very excited to see this system be in use at Stamford Bridge, as it will allow for some brilliantly attractive football to be on show between a constantly fluctuating attack. It would also be a breath of fresh air from the more common attacks seen throughout the Premiership, and even more so from the attacking displays at the Britannia Stadium, despite their efficiency.

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