4 Chelsea players who don't deserve to be starters anymore

Maurizio Sarri needs to stop starting underwhelming performers
Maurizio Sarri needs to stop starting underwhelming performers

Chelsea Football Club is going through a real revolution in terms of their playing style. After numerous managers with defensive systems, this summer they introduced Maurizio Sarri.

The Italian manager was in charge of Napoli before switching to Chelsea, and his Napoli side was playing probably the most beautiful way in Europe. He has applied that same system at Chelsea, and they are doing well at the moment.

They are in fourth place in the Premier League, and it's a great achievement considering that they have a much weaker squad in comparison to rivals, and some players in the starting line-up playing below expected standards.


Also See: EPL Table | EPL Fixtures | EPL Top Scorers


Sarri must realise that some players don't deserve to be in the starting line-up anymore. It's time for some new faces.

Lets take a look at 4 players who don't deserve to be in the starting lineup.


#1 Marcos Alonso

Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso

At the start of the season, many thought Emerson Palmieri would be the first choice left back for Maurizio Sarri. However, with the first couple of games, it was clear that Marcos Alonso will be the man to do the job on the left side.

That left side is very important in 'Sarriball' because it's the place where everything in attack is created.

Marcos Alonso came to Chelsea in the summer of 2016, and he was a real surprise in Conte's system with 3 centre-backs, mostly due to his incredible attacking awareness.

However, his defensive struggles are more evident in this new system with 4 defenders. He loves to attack, and that is why he often stays very high, which creates a big gap. Also, wingers often don't have to work very hard to beat him in 1v1 situations.

Definitely, it's time to make some changes on the left side. Sarri also has Emerson who hasn't started a game in the Premier League this season. He is a pacey and energetic full-back, with a good left foot.

He just needs a bit of playing time to improve tactically. He could develop into a really good full-back if Sarri puts faith in him.

#2 David Luiz

David Luiz: Offensively very good but defensively very bad
David Luiz: Offensively very good but defensively very bad

David Luiz has started every single game in the Premier League. This system is very suitable for the Brazilian because of his creativity. He is known as a defender who loves to have the ball at his feet, and very often he is responsible for the game creation in 'Sarriball'.

However, not all is that simple. His defending skills are on a very low level, and that has caused many goals this season. In addition to that, Luiz's contract expires this summer, and the maximum Chelsea offers for players older than 30 is a contract for one year. The latest reports say David Luiz won't sign that type of contract extension.

With all this in mind, it's time for Andreas Christensen to get his chance. The Denmark international is very good with the ball at his feet. What separates them is Christensen's discipline in defence. It's time to give the Dane more playing time in the league.

#3 Willian

Willian: Did Chelsea make a mistake by not selling him this summer?
Willian: Did Chelsea make a mistake by not selling him this summer?

Due to the bad form of his strikers, Sarri has deployed Eden Hazard as the centre-forward, with Willian and Pedro Rodriguez as his partners on the wings.

Sarri did a lot of work this summer to convince Willian to stay at the club. However, the Brazilian is nowhere near the player Sarri wants him to be. He has only 2 goals in the Premier League this season, which tells a lot.

Chelsea fans have been calling for his benching, and now they have more reasons with Callum Hudson-Odoi waiting for his chance. The young English talent produced a piece of magic on Saturday in the FA Cup, with 2 assists for Alvaro Morata.

Because of Willian's poor performances throughout the season, it's a perfect chance to give Hudson-Odoi more playing time, and convince him that he is the future & the present of the club.

#4 Pedro Rodriguez

Pedro Rodriguez got another injury against Watford
Pedro Rodriguez got another injury against Watford

As mentioned in the previous slide, Pedro Rodriguez mostly plays on the right side of Chelsea's attack. The Spanish winger benefits a lot from Sarri's system because of his good movement and runs in behind the opposition defence.

However, the main problem with him are his injuries which don't allow him to find some consistency. He is not so young anymore, and these injuries are the real reason why Sarri should not think about Pedro as his first choice right winger.

Sarri doesn't have many options in the attack, so he has had to improvise a lot this season. So in some games, he decided to deploy Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the flanks. The young English international has shown some incredible improvement even on the wing, which is not his natural position.

He could be extremely useful for carrying the ball forward with his strength, pace, and technical qualities.

He has a good shot too, so he is quite unpredictable for defenders. If he develops well, he is going to be a great player, so Sarri should play him more.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.
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