Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has had his say about Graham Potter’s decision to revert to a “familiar” back-three system in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Leeds United.
Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation certainly came as a surprise to many, who expected the manager to stick with back-four formations he had used in the last couple of months.
Reece James’ absence might have played a part, of course, but the right-back had trained with the team for effectively the whole week before missing the last training session on Friday.
So, was the decision made just a day before the game?
It is hard to tell, but according to Kovacic, it was part of their preparation and he certainly enjoyed playing in this structure.
“We prepared the goal well in training because we know that Wesley is good in the air,” the Croatia international said after the game (via Chelsea’s official website).
“I think the formation worked really well.
“We prepared it good in training, and we’re used to this system since a long time, so it’s a familiar one.
“We had a good game, but the most important is that we continue.”
The freedom a back-three formation gives to the wing-backs is arguably the most obvious reason why it suits Chelsea really well.
Ben Chilwell was the only natural wing-back in the game, but it was arguably enough to cause problems for Leeds defenders.
There is no question that James thrives in this formation, too.
The biggest drawbacks, in Chelsea’s case, are that Potter will only be able to field three of his many attacking options and the lack of centre-back options with Thiago Silva out injured and Benoit Badiashile not available in the Champions League.
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