FA Community Shield 2018: 5 talking points on Chelsea's performance

Manchester City kicked off the new season by beating Chelsea 2-0, courtesy of a brace by Sergio Aguero in the FA Community Shield on Sunday. The Argentinian marked his 200th and 201st strike for Manchester City which ensured Maurizio Sarri losing out on his first chance at silverware in his Chelsea career.

Chelsea, over the course of the match, looked like a side consisting of players who were looking to find their feet in a new system, different from the past two seasons under Antonio Conte.

Manchester City, on the other hand, were looking to build on a hugely successful last season. They were comfortable on the ball, hardly allowed the opposition to gain the upper hand and overall were easily the better side.

The difference between points of the two sides last season was 30 and even on the pitch it looked quite apparent.

Maurizio Sarri has his work cut out in order to close the gulf in quality between the two sides as he oversees a season of transition to a new style of football.

The Community Shield loss highlights some of the issues which might plague Chelsea as the season progresses, some of them include- Transfer market, the late arrival of Sarri, deadwood in current roster and so on. The following article features five key takeaways from Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Manchester City...

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#1 Chelsea's Midfield Woes

Drinkwater may struggle to fit into the system at Chelsea

In his pre-match press conference, Maurizio Sarri talked about Chelsea needing one more signing in this transfer window.

The signing could very well be a midfielder who can complement Sarri's style. During his time at Napoli, Sarri fielded a midfield three of Allan, Jorginho and Marek Hamsik.

While Jorginho has joined his boss from Napoli this season, Kante potentially a lock in Allan's role, it is the Hamsik role which needs addressing.

It can be argued that Sarri had adapted to the limited roster he had at Napoli and that Chelsea's squad is quite different in terms of quality but the broader trend so far looks like Chelsea need a midfielder who can act as an advanced playmaker to link up with the front three.

The issue was also highlighted in post-match remarks of Chelsea's 1-0 win over Internazionale in International Champions cup, Sarri talked about Chelsea needing to be "faster" in their passing.

Ross Barkley, a January signing from Everton last season struggled to find a place under Antonio Conte after a long layoff due to injury.

This pre-season however, he has seen regular playing time under Sarri and has occupied the advanced playmaker role in the side. The 24-year-old looks physically sharp and can certainly contribute to Chelsea's cause this season.

However, his end product has left a lot to be desired and whether he is the answer to Sarri's midfield remains to be seen.

Another option within the squad who can challenge Barkley for the role is Chelsea academy graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The 22-year-old had a great first season of regular first-team football at Crystal Palace last season despite losing out on a chunk of playing time due to injury.

He was also selected in the world cup squad and impressed in his limited opportunities. He looks ready to contribute to Chelsea's first team this season.

The lanky midfielder has all the necessary attributes that the manager needs in his midfield- Technically excellent, good vision, physically imposing and can also ghost past players with ease due to his close control and dribbling ability.

Chelsea fans hope he wins Sarri's faith and the current midfield paradox can be easily sorted without venturing into the unpredictable transfer market.

Danny Drinkwater and Tiémoué Bakayoko are linked with a move away from Chelsea as they struggle to fit in the new playing style and would look to get game time elsewhere.

Fabregas is not getting younger and it is difficult to see him as a regular starter. The Spaniard however, is certain to stay this season as a valuable squad member.

Latest rumored targets include Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) and Matias Vecino (Inter Milan).

#2 Expect Chelsea to hit peak form by Midseason

The fans will have to get behind Sarri and give him time

Patience would be something that everyone associated with Chelsea- hierarchy, playing staff, coaching staff and fans need to have in order to oversee a transition to a new phase in the club's history.

Sarri needs time to fully implement his ideas with the squad and with his first season in England, expect this season to be more of a learning curve for the Italian.

The best form of Chelsea this season will be seen midway through the season when the players will finally be familiar with their roles and the fixtures would come in full swing. Sarri has only had less than a month to work with the players before the season starts and due to the world cup, the complete squad only reports by August 7 with world cup winners Ngolo Kante and Olivier Giroud reporting back to duty.

Hazard and Kante especially are players who would be the first names on the teamsheet and they will take time to get acclimatized to the football this season both physically and tactically.

It is only with the above mentioned two players that Chelsea can be considered at full strength and players will definitely need a settling in period before they hit full throttle.

Maurizio Sarri will hope his squad gets up to speed as quickly as possible as even a minor slip up can ruin the team's chances in the Premier League this season.

The margin for error is smaller than ever and Chelsea will need to grind out victories so that they remain in place for finishing at least inside the top four.

#3 Chelsea far from finding their best eleven

Sarri is yet to find his ideal combination

If preseason is any evidence, Chelsea is far from finding their best eleven for the upcoming season. There are multiple positions up for grabs and Sarri might be forced to try out different players in different roles in order to find the perfect balance for the team.

In defence, Andreas Christensen could push either of David Luiz or Antonio Rudiger out of the side. Luiz and Rudiger, with all their ball playing ability and physical dominance, often lack concentration or positioning sense which may put pressure on the team.

Christensen is an excellent reader of the game and equally good at passing the ball through his feet. Chelsea needs a center back who is good at reading the game at the heart of their defence. Premier league teams rarely fail to punish defensive errors and Chelsea needs to get their combination right.

Also at fullback, Marcos Alonso has a lot of qualities but pace is not one of them. In a high pressing system that Sarri employs, he might struggle to get back to support his backline during counterattacks. Emerson could be an option for the manager because of his pace and attacking qualities.

Midfield, as discussed previously in the article, could see an addition late in the transfer window. Chelsea needs a midfielder who can link up effectively with the front three and complement the team's pressing in the opposition half.

With Willian, Pedro, Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi ending up as winger options for this season, this area of the squad might not need a lot of attention. It is the situation at Center forward which can cause a severe headache.

Alvaro Morata is still struggling with his finishing and looks to be lacking in confidence whenever he sets out on the field.

Other options at center forward include Michy Batshuayi, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham. Abraham might have to go on loan for another season and Chelsea's striker options look to be Morata, Batshuayi and Giroud for the upcoming season.

Batshuayi may displace Alvaro Morata out of the starting lineup as the season progresses as his poaching and deadly finishing ability will complement the team more than Morata who might be a better all-round player but struggles with his finishing at times, the most important characteristic for a striker.

#4 Transfer market inactivity

Chelsea will need to sort out their transfer business quickly

If Chelsea has a challenging season ahead, one could always point out the lethargy in the transfer market as one of the reasons.

The nervousness began to set in with the long delay in getting Maurizio Sarri in as Chelsea's new manager. The manager joined on July 14, less than a month before Community Shield which would potentially have given him less time to evaluate the squad, introducing his philosophy in the team and would also be expected to remain competitive in the premier league.

Also with the season Chelsea just had (2017-18) which saw Chelsea finishing fifth, a whopping 30 points behind the winners Manchester City exposed the limitations of the Chelsea squad. Clearly, the team needed an injection of quality and the club so far has only managed to sign Jorginho who cannot be expected to bring through a revolution all by himself.

Chelsea needs reinforcements in midfield and forward positions and they need to act quick. However, Chelsea's biggest signing might be getting Eden Hazard tied down to a new contract with the Belgian linked with a move to Real Madrid.

The good news is that Hazard might finally decide to stay at Chelsea but with unpredictability being the second name of the football business, the celebration might have to wait.

Another major distraction has been the goalkeeper situation which still remains unclear with Thibaut Courtois possibly looking to move on. Chelsea's search for a replacement is still on and got a major blow when Alisson signed for Liverpool. With time running out and the shortage of quality replacements, the uncertainty is expected to remain until the last day of the transfer window.

History suggests that failures in transfer market can affect the chances of the team with the previous season and Mourinho's last season the instances which saw Chelsea falling behind their competitors.

Premier league is becoming more competitive with every passing season and Chelsea cannot afford to fall back again especially out of Champions league for another year.

Therefore, Chelsea needs to get this transfer window right if they want the upcoming season to be one of progress rather than drama and regression.

#5 The cause for optimism

Hazard and Kante will be vital for Chelsea

Chelsea's start to the season might be slow but with the arrival of Chelsea's two most important players in the form of Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kanté, the transition might be much quicker than imagined.

Both players are the only world class players Chelsea can boast to have in their ranks. Eden Hazard will finally get to work with a manager who will encourage him to express himself and will play in a team which complements his playing style. The Belgian might end up having the best period of his career under Sarri.

Kanté, on the other hand, is every manager's dream to work with. The two-time Premier League and the recently crowned world cup winner can also improve under Sarri especially his passing in the final third. Kanté can become one of the most complete midfielders in world football in the coming seasons.

Also, Jorginho is also one of the few players in the Chelsea squad who can claim to be one of the world's best in their position. The foundation might very well be set and with minor tweaks, Chelsea could become a devastating machine like Sarri's Napoli last season sooner rather than later.

Another factor is the current appointment of Maurizio Sarri. The appointment finally looks like one which is in accord with the board's vision and the new frugality that the club has started to maintain in the transfer market.

The departures of the previous two head coaches started with disagreements over transfer markets and with Sarri, Chelsea has got a coach who would rarely complain about transfer market and look to make the most out of the resources he has at his disposal. He was once quoted to have said,

"I talk with our sporting director once a week, but he can do whatever he wants. I'm an unusual coach, I don't care about the transfer market, it is the refuge of the weak.

I am a coach. Give me a group of players and I will coach them."

The emergence of Callum Hudson-Odoi is also a feel-good factor, who has impressed in pre-season. If his performances are any indication, it looks like Chelsea might have saved themselves millions in the transfer market in search of a winger.

Odoi, aged 17, looks at home playing with seasoned professionals and this season would a good growth curve for him. Another young player to emerge is Ethan Ampadu, 2017 summer recruit from Exeter City.

The Welsh defender's composure and reading of the game defy his age and both the players look to be an integral part of Chelsea's near future.

There is plenty of cause of concern for the upcoming season for Chelsea and patience will be needed for all parties involved as the potential gains would outweigh short-term setbacks.

Also, the expected transition might not be very long if the key players of the squad have a good season and are back in form quickly.

This is the first step of a long-awaited overhaul at Chelsea and one hopes Maurizio Sarri finally oversees it and does not become another name in the long list of managerial casualties due to underachievement.