Why Chelsea Boss Jose Mourinho Needs to Play Cesar Azpilicueta over Filipe Luis
Last season at Chelsea it was Ashley Cole, this year Filipe Luis: Left-backs must quake with fear at the sight as Cesar Azpilicueta.
Cole was dropped for the Spaniard last term, and despite a £16 million move from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in the summer, Luis has also found himself playing the role of backup to Azpilicueta.
By trade he operates on the opposite flank, but Jose Mourinho has spotted something about Azpilicueta and seems unwilling to change things right now.
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For Chelsea's sake, he shouldn't.
Luis is a player seen by many as among the world's most complete left-backs. He's a threat going forward but does the basics in defence well, too.
He's still adjusting to the English game, though, and right now Azpilicueta represents a far better and more reliable option.
Switching flanks shouldn't have worked so effortlessly for the 25-year-old. He's predominately right-footed, and with Eden Hazard ahead of him can be exposed at times when the Belgian is off doing what he's paid to in attack.
Tactically, however, Azpilicueta has a intelligent brain. He has quickly adapted, showing an understanding for when to join attacks and when to hold.
We'll see him more in his own half than the opponent's, but that allows for Branislav Ivanovic to get forward much more on the right. Indeed, Ivanovic has benefited a great deal from Azpilicueta's emergence as the first-choice left-back at Chelsea.
In order to get games at Stamford Bridge, Ivanovic made a similar switch to his teammate, moving from central defence to to the right in 2008.
He's since made the position his own, but with Azpilicueta on the scene for the past two seasons, he has had serious competition.
Now that he's playing regularly on the other side of defence, Ivanovic is safe—for now.
Azpilicueta's presence has also allowed Ivanovic to venture forward a great deal more.
The Spaniard is defensively disciplined, and it's a clear tactic of Mourinho's to give Ivanovic more license to attack while Azpilicueta drops in alongside John Terry, giving Chelsea the look of a back three when playing on the front foot.
Ivanovic may not be easy on the eye, but his physicality is a major asset to Chelsea. He bosses the opposition left-back and at times finds himself in the striker's position to attack crosses.
It all brings an added threat to Chelsea.
Then there is Azpilicueta's right foot, the biggest weakness of any player deployed on the left.
He'll try to create with the foot his position on the pitch dictates, but Azpilicueta has shown a knack for using his more natural right to far more precision and danger.
Already this season he has earned himself two assists to Luis' zero—the latest coming in the recent 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
When Azpilicueta tussled for possession with Philippe Coutinho at Anfield, the instinct for Luis would have been to either cross with his left or move possession backward, as there were no Chelsea players in the box on the back of a hopeful ball launched forward.
Oscar and Diego Costa were closing in, and Azpilicueta had to hold the ball up for their arrival. He did more than that—much more.
Azpilicueta battled through Coutinho's challenge to lose his man and bundled his way into the box. His deft cross with the outside of his right boot eventually found its way to Costa, who made no mistake in front of an open goal.
That strike won Chelsea the game, 2-1.
The point is, that weakness of not being confident or totally able with his left foot meant Azpilicueta had to play a much more precise game in that moment.
A hopeful cross wouldn't have cut it. Something more delicate was needed, and he duly delivered.
That Liverpool display came on the back of the Spaniard's missing the best part of a month's action after his dismissal against Crystal Palace in October.
Luis had filled in for the five games in that period and had not always looked the £16 million player Chelsea signed.
Luis' form will come when he makes more appearances, and right now Mourinho is playing it right. He's easing the Brazilian into this Chelsea team, and Azpilicueta is a big factor in allowing him to do that.
Luis may well win the fight for the starting berth at left-back, yet right now it most certainly belongs to Azpilicueta.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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