After sacking Antonio Conte at the end of last season, it has been a smooth transition for Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri this term.
The Blues have already picked up 28 points in 12 matches and are one of only three unbeaten teams in the league this season.
We have come up with a report card of Chelsea’s season so far that includes the best performers, those who can improve and rated the coach.
Chelsea’s Standout performers
Eden Hazard has been by far the best player for Chelsea this campaign, having netted seven goals while mustering four assists in just 11 matches. Only Sergio Aguero has scored more goals than the Belgian.
Hazard also leads the league in terms of dribbles per 90 minutes (at least 600 minutes played) while his tally of 32 key passes is only bettered by four players, including teammate Willian, who leads the league with 35 key passes.
Jorginho has also impressed in his maiden season in the English Premier League with the Italian playing a key role in orchestrating the Chelsea midfield with his excellent ball-distribution, which, in turn, has helped N’Golo Kante become more expressive in his overall gameplay.
Jorginho leads the league in passing, having made 1,186 passes with an accuracy of over 91%.
Players who have underperformed
Chelsea have exceeded expectations so far this season we can’t really pick out anyone who has flattered to deceive. One player who needs to step up to get back in the reckoning is Danny Drinkwater.
The Premier League winner has struggled to get regular playing time under Maurizio Sarri so far. The former Leicester City midfielder was deemed surplus to the requirements by the Italian in the summer and is yet to feature in a single league game this campaign.
Drinkwater’s long-term future at Chelsea seems bleak and it’s only a matter of time before he leaves Stamford Bridge.
Maurizio Sarri and his tactics
Chelsea have played fast-paced football and the pressing has made them more exciting to watch compared to last season. The Italian is known to set his teams up with a narrow shape, which brings more cohesion to the formation and allows the side to exchange short passes.
Marcos Alonso has predominantly played the role of the overlapping full-back. While his crosses have caused a lot of discomfort for the opposition, Hazard’s ability to play as an inverted winger has added an extra dimension to the Chelsea attack that has scored the second most number of goals in the league this season.
Chelsea have been quite resilient defensively, too, with David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger forming a solid central defensive partnership while Cesar Azpilicueta’s reliability has further fortified the Blues defence, who have conceded only eight goals so far.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored