3 take-aways from Chelsea's victory over Barcelona

2. Chelsea will use the double pivot

Mateo Kovacic

The past couple of seasons there has been a lot of debate over the formations at Chelsea. First, there was a three-at-the-back formation under Antonio Conte. Then, Maurizio Sarri brought his 4-3-3 to the table.

This pre-season, Chelsea have lined up in some very diverse formations. There have been two striker formations as well as a 4-2-3-1.

It seems Lampard feels that the 4-2-3-1 featuring the double pivot is the best option for Chelsea. Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho have started together on many occasions this pre-season, showing that Lampard is interested in using his squad based on their strengths.

Jorginho

Kovacic isn't a goal threat and Jorginho isn't agile enough to play in an advanced role. Hence, Lampard has decided that these two will feature in a double pivot and will dictate play from the base of the midfield.

What this does is that it gives the No. 10 upfront even more freedom to roam about and attack without any major defensive duties.

Chelsea used a double pivot in the game against Barcelona and it helped them in deciding the pace of the game. Having two skilled passers at the base allowed Chelsea to keep the ball and move around accordingly.

While there were a few fumbles at the beginning of the match, Chelsea grew into the system and started moving the ball around with fluidity.

This formation has a lot of scope as far as this Chelsea squad is concerned, and should be explored even further in the last few pre-season games. If done correctly, Chelsea can settle at this double pivot.

When N'Golo Kante recovers from his injury, the double pivot would become more defensively solid, which would open further doors for the forwards to attack freely.