Tactical Analysis: Why Nemanja Matic is so crucial to Chelsea's style of play?

Nemanja Matic has been a key member for the Blues this season

“At this moment, he’s a giant. Not for his size but for the way he plays. The man is a giant.” – Jose Mourinho when asked about Matic’s excellent showing in the 2-1 victory against Liverpool.”

Central midfield is a position that the ‘Special One’ believes to be of utmost importance and he has always given great attention when it comes to recruiting players to be deployed in the defensive midfield role.

Claude Makelele, Esteban Cambiasso and Xabi Alonso are prime examples of how Mourinho over the years, has placed great importance on the midfield of a winning eleven, and in all honesty, Nemanja Matic has been no different in the current campaign. He has been an indispensible part of Mourinho’s plans this season, being the first name on the sheet in all the games, and alongside Cesc Fabregas at the centre, the Serbian lends exquisite balance to the Blues.

What does Matic bring to the side?

If you have ever wondered how the Blues have become the misers they are when it comes to conceding goals, the predominant reason would be Nemanja Matic. The Serbian has been an absolute rock, sitting pretty in front of the back four and his performances have already drawn comparisons to the role played by Makelele under the ‘Special One’.

The art of playing in defensive midfield is not about doing something stupendous but about not doing anything stupid and Matic has illustrated this to perfection. Standing at six foot and four inches, Matic provides an imposing physical presence at the centre and he is quite quick for a man of his size. His versatility is what that makes him stand out from the other defensive midfielders in the modern era.

Matic not only wins the ball back with his fierce tackles, but immediately looks for an opportunity to instigate an attack owing to his exceptional passing range. The Serbian is deployed as a left central midfielder in Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 with Fabregas on the right. Matic’s influence on the game has two dimensions, depending on the team’s approach during the game:

On the front foot

Matic’s position with Chelsea on the attack

Matic does not enter the final third very often and becomes the lone central midfielder on the attack, to allow Fabregas to charge forward and make it a 4-1-4-1. The Serbian has been one of the best passers for Chelsea and dictates play from a more central position behind the four midfielders by spreading the play, out to the flanks.

Despite the presence of Fabregas, who is generally in charge of distribution of the ball, Matic too has had his say as a lone central midfielder by reducing the tempo under pressure with a simple pass back to the defence or with a deadly lob directly to find the striker, while facing a crowded final third. Moreover, Matic has been the second best passer for the Blues this season, ranking behind only pass-master Cesc Fabregas.

Player	Passes per game	Pass accuracy (%)
Cesc Fabregas	87	88,3 %
Nemanja Matic	68.2	88.7 %
Oscar	55.8	85.2 %

However, in the event that Chelsea lose possession in the final third, the onus is on him to guard the back four on the counter. Matic also absorbs a good deal of the clearances which land at the centre of the park and excels in committing timely fouls to break up play. Fouls play an important role in the modern era as they disrupt the opposition’s tempo or rhythm of play and the Blues midfielder utilizes it to the fullest.

Fouls committed by Matic against QPR

Chelsea dominated possession in the 2-1 victory against QPR and it was one of the games wherein Matic was all over the park, trying to win back possession. Majority of the tackles by Matic, came right at the centre of the park when either QPR tried to break away on the counter or before even they could begin building up play from deep midfield. He averages 5 tackles per game in all competitions this season, the most for any player at Chelsea.

Player	Tackles per game
Nemanja Matic	5
Cesar Azpilicueta	3.3
Cesc Fabregas	3.1

When enough attention is given to detail, Matic’s occasional dribbles into the final third are also quite noticeable. This is where the Serbian has added an extra dimension to the role of the defensive midfielder of the current era. He is more than capable of surprising the opponents by charging forward into the attacking third and testing the goalkeeper.

Moreover, his exquisite dribbling ability is also the underlying secret behind his ability to hold the ball under immense pressure. To put it in numbers, the Serbian is second only to Hazard when it comes to the number of dribbles per game attempted and completed by a Chelsea player in the Premier League this season.

Player	Dribbles per game
Eden Hazard	4.7
Nemanja Matic	1.6
Willian	1.5

On the back foot

Matic’s positioning in the defensive third

When it comes to his defence, Jose Mourinho is a manager who places emphasis on discipline and keeping the back four very organized. So, the defence along with Matic form a ‘T’ shape at the back, and this is maintained throughout the game in the defensive third. The Serbian is seldom caught out of position and when required, he even provides cover for the full backs.

However, his major duty is to screen the back four and wait patiently for the right moment to press the onrushing attacker or bring to an end any threatening passage of play in the final third. Now, this is a role that demands utmost focus and any lapse of a mere fraction of a second could end up being costly.

However, Matic has shown time and again, that he can meet the demands of the role by positioning himself to perfection. He also tops the list of most interceptions made per game by a Chelsea player in all competitions in the current season.

Player	Interceptions per game
Nemanja Matic	2.1
Cesar Azpilicueta	1.8
Cesc Fabregas	1.1

So in Nemanja Matic, we are talking about a player who is involved in every aspect of Chelsea’s game, right from winning the ball to creating a scoring opportunity. Basically, he is a player who is influential in every part of the pitch, right from the defensive third to the penalty box going forward.

Moving on, let us have a look at a comparison of the decisions made by Matic and Obi Mikel, when both are faced with similar situations.

Above: Matic vs Manchester City on the counter.Below: Mikel vs Newcastle United on the counter

Here, Mikel knew that Newcastle were on the break with Perez in possession with Cisse and Sissoko as passing options. Despite the back four of Chelsea not being in place with Ivanovic out supporting the attack, the Nigerian went for the slide tackle and missed, creating a 3-on-3 situation and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

In contrast to this, in a similar situation where City were trying to break away, Matic first got back into position and provided cover for the back four. More importantly, he kept a cool head, as he saw that Fabregas was closer to the man in possession and refrained from unnecessarily charging forward.

Matic crucial to Chelsea’s hopes

Well, the example doesn’t intend to plainly state that Matic is better than his competitor, John Obi Mikel, but it only implies that even a player of Mikel’s stature could be vulnerable to the silliest of errors. Such is the nature of the defensive midfield position and the underlying truth is that the centre of the park has maximum influence on the game, irrespective of the quality of attack/defence.

Thus, Matic’s ability to read the game is not an added advantage but has rather become a prerequisite for a quality defensive midfielder in football today. Over time, Matic has become an indispensable member for the Blues and without a shadow of doubt, he remains most decisive to Chelsea’s title hopes.