FA Community Shield: 3 key takeaways from Manchester City vs Chelsea

#2 Midfield conundrum persists

N’golo Kante

It has been clear ever since Maurizio Sarri was appointed to be in charge at Chelsea, that he was going to employ a 3-man midfield. The arrival of Jorginho all but confirmed what everyone suspected.

One of the biggest issues plaguing Chelsea is the personnel to employ for the left of the 3-man midfield. It is safe to assume that Jorginho will start as the deepest of the trio, slotting between the defenders when in possession and dictating play.

N’golo Kante is widely expected to take up the spot occupied by Fabregas in the pre-season. The arrival of Kante will be a real boost for Sarri as he will solidify the defense to a great extent and is also renowned for his ball-winning ability in the opposition half. It is a role that could bring the best out of Kante.

With two spots out of three already confirmed, it remains to be seen who plays to the left of Jorginho. Tiemoue Bakayoko does not look like a good fit for Chelsea. His lack of confidence and error-prone passing has dropped him way below in the pecking order. That leaves Ross Barkley, Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to compete for one spot.

Cesc Fabregas possesses the quality to unlock any defense but lacks the athleticism to track back when not in possession. He can still do a job for the team but should not be an automatic starter.

Based on the pre-season, Sarri has favoured Barkley for the role. Barkley excels in making forward runs and has the ability to make the killer pass as well. Against Manchester City though, his shortcomings when tracking back, were left exposed. He repeatedly lost possession when he ventured too far forward and left team completely vulnerable to the counter as Manchester City navigated around Chelsea’s initial press far too easily.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the final alternative to play the role. The fact that he was on leave after his exertions at the World Cup, means that at least for now, Barkley will hold on to his starting spot, but Loftus-Cheek will be tough competition for him.

Loftus-Cheek has the pace, is technically sound, but more importantly, is far better at tracking the opposition in transition than Barkley. Whether it is Barkley or Loftus-Cheek, Sarri has a real task at hand.