Chelsea were made to work in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round, but Mason Mount’s strong performance in midfield was among the positives.
The 23-year-old played in his natural position as a number eight in 4-3-3 formation.
He mostly operated on the right side of the field, alongside right winger Hakim Ziyech and right-back Cesar Azpilicueta.
As expected, both Mount and Ziyech looked comfortable playing in their favourite positions.
The pair were Chelsea’s best creators in the game. Mount created eight chances in the game, while the latter created six.
Ziyech, who completed seven out of his eight dribble attempts, was arguably Chelsea’s best attacker.
Although, Mount with his all-round performance was arguably a close second, despite playing in a deeper role.
It remains unclear whether Thomas Tuchel, who was absent in the dugout after testing positive for Covid-19, sees the 4-3-3 as a potential primary formation, but it clearly brings the best out of Mount and Ziyech.
Although, their defenders did not look as solid compared to when playing in a back three, which was likely the reason Tuchel prefers a 3-4-3 system in the first place.
Unfortunately, both systems use a lone number nine, and neither Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, nor Kai Havertz looks comfortable in this role.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.