Ranking the Players Who Are More and Less Important to Chelsea Than 1 Year Ago
This time last season, Antonio Conte's Chelsea were in the throes of breaking Premier League records. The Blues were midway through the 13-match winning streak that would ultimately win them the title come May, defeating the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton along the way.
Much has changed since November 2016—for better and worse. Conte's men have since qualified for the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League on their return to the competition and also find themselves in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.
In the Premier League, though, Manchester City are hinting at bettering Chelsea's 13-match winning run. Heading into the weekend's fixtures, they already found themselves on a run of 10 straight victories and clear at the top of the table.
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It's the nature of football; things change and teams have to adapt. The players in those teams have to equally react to newfound threats, too, which is what we've seen at Stamford Bridge this term.
Some key players from last year's title success are finding themselves marginalised. At the same time, bench warmers from 2016/17 are involved more than ever.
So who is less or more important for Chelsea at this stage of the season compared to last?
Missing from these rankings are Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alvaro Morata, Davide Zappacosta, Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Charly Musonda and Andreas Christensen. None of those players were at Chelsea at this stage last season—either returning from loan or joining this summer—hence their position not changing in the past 12 months.
It's important to note we're ranking players on how their importance has changed, not on how important they actually are to Conte's team.
More important
4. Michy Batshuayi
With only Morata signed this summer, Chelsea's front line continues to look frail. The Spaniard and Michy Batshuayi are the only recognised strikers strikers Conte can call on, and for sheer numbers alone, it means the latter has a strong position in this Chelsea squad.
We saw that much in the midweek trip to Baku, where Chelsea faced Qarabag in the Champions League. The Blues eventually cruised their way to a 4-0 victory—they defeated Qarabag 10-0 on aggregate across their two games this season—but they did it without a striker.
With a vital match against Liverpool coming three days later, Conte rang the changes to his side, resting his main striker Morata. With Batshuayi out injured, it meant Eden Hazard playing as the false nine in Chelsea's 3-4-3.
Conte would have preferred to rest Hazard and Morata, but the Belgian played for the simple fact there wasn't another option. Were Batshuayi fit, he would have been leading the line to give other players a rest and to help them remain fresh.
He may not start regularly, but Batshuayi's importance to Chelsea is considerable. Without him supporting Morata, it leaves any hopes of silverware this season in tatters.
3. Eden Hazard
Continuing on from Batshuayi, the change of system at Chelsea this season has seen Hazard become ever more important to Conte's plans.
The Blues still return at times to the 3-4-3 that won them the title, but we're seeing the evolution this term as Conte leans to a 3-5-1-1 setup that delivered victories against Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.
With Morata at the tip of that, he needs a player in behind who can create space and pose an equally potent attacking threat. Step forward Hazard, who is beginning to play more like players who share the No. 10 he has on his back.
Conte has brought the Belgian in from out wide to make him the talisman of all that Chelsea offer in the final third. He's creating a fine understanding with Morata as a result, and it has the makings of becoming a partnership that will serve Chelsea for the foreseeable future (provided Hazard isn't tempted to move elsewhere next summer, of course).
Hazard has always been one of Chelsea's most important players. The way he has adapted to Conte's new style has seen that importance grow all the more.
2. Marcos Alonso
Is he Chelsea's best player? No. Is he Chelsea's most important player? No. Is he Chelsea's most valuable player? No. So why does Marcos Alonso rank so high here? Well, like Batshuayi, it's a simple case of numbers. But whereas Batshuayi is a back-up for Morata, Alonso is only back-up to himself.
Heaven help Chelsea should Alonso pick up an injury as, without him, there is no other left wing-back to deputise. Fingers will point to Kenedy as an option, yet after a summer that saw him sent home from the pre-season tour to the Far East in disgrace, we've barely seen him.
Chelsea needed to sign another left-sided defender in the summer and they failed to do so. It means Alonso is probably the first name on Conte's teamsheet every week as there isn't anyone else to fill the void.
Without Alonso, the wing-back system doesn't work for Chelsea. Conte can choose between Zappacosta or Moses on the right, but for a natural fit on the left, there isn't an alternative.
The use of wing-backs is so essential to the way Chelsea play. Take Alonso out of the picture and the dynamic shifts completely.
We've already touched upon Conte's shift to 3-5-2 this season. Hazard has played a big part in that; without Cesc Fabregas, however, Chelsea would be sticking to the 3-4-3 that won them the title.
Because of that point, the impression would be it's not actually a bad move to stick, rather than twist when it comes to systems. But then look at how teams started to combat Chelsea's strengths, and it was clear Conte needed to find an alternative. Fabregas has helped bring that about with the way he plays his football.
Chelsea aren't a side that rely heavily on possession. The Blues' numbers are all about how efficient they are when they have the ball, which is where Fabregas comes into it. His role is to float in midfield, allowing Bakayoko and N'Golo Kante to provide the substance to his style.
Chelsea are about quick transitions to turn over the ball and attack at pace. Without a player capable of starting attacks from all over the pitch, the system isn't as effective.
We saw proof of that when Conte's men defeated Manchester United 1-0 earlier this month. It was the best performance we've seen from them in a 3-5-2 and Fabregas was at the heart of it. He was also named man of the match.
In the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield, it was only when Fabregas entered the fray that Chelsea were able to enjoy sustained pressure and get back into the game.
This time last year, the Spaniard had started just three games for Chelsea. In November 2017, Fabregas already has 17 starts to his name. How's that for raising your importance to a team?
Less important
4. David Luiz
The common wisdom is the summer was that Gary Cahill should be looking over his shoulder at Chelsea. Andreas Christensen was back from a coming-of-age two-year loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach, and fans across social media were predicting the newly appointed Blues captain was under pressure for a starting place.
When Cahill was sent off for a horrible lunge against Burnley on the opening day of the season, it seemed the time had come for a changing of the guard as he would miss Chelsea's next three matches.
That hasn't happened. Well, not quite. Fans were right to look at Christensen as a first-team contender, but they identified the wrong player to fall victim to his rising status. Instead, it's been David Luiz.
Christensen has featured ahead of the Brazilian in Chelsea's last three Premier League outings against Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool. Two of those games were against direct title rivals, yet Conte has shown confidence in the young Dane to pick him ahead of his experienced team-mate.
The Blues have picked up seven points in those matches, keeping two clean sheets along the way.
This time last year, a Chelsea back three without Luiz would have been unthinkable. His ability to step back and read the game, to pick out a pass and mop up loose balls meant he was arguably the most vital defender at the back. Nobody else could play the role he had been handed.
Yet now, his status has taken a major hit from Christensen's emergence. With or without Luiz, Chelsea's back three has the balance it requires to function, with Cahill and Azpilicueta doing more of the defending and Christensen adding the same polish Luiz did when the Blues cruised to the title.
Christensen is being selected for the big games, while Luiz is now turning out in makeshift teams against Qarabag.
How long will this continue? Time will tell, although judging by Christensen's form, Luiz will have to get used to a place on the bench.
Come the end of the season, the Brazilian could be No.1 on this list.
3. Pedro
After a breakout season in Chelsea blue last year, this term has been more frustrating for Pedro. He started the campaign injured after he was clattered by Arsenal's David Ospina during pre-season, breaking a cheek bone.
And since then, Chelsea's style has evolved to the point that Pedro is being forced to watch from the sidelines.
In the 3-5-2 Chelsea play, Morata is the main striker. The No. 10 position has to be shared between Chelsea's attacking midfielders, and none of them is more talented than Hazard.
That's meant Pedro living off scraps, only starting matches when Conte reverts back to the 3-4-3 or coming off the bench as an impact sub. That happened against Qarabag in the Champions League and when Chelsea tried to rescue the game against Liverpool at Anfield. As the season evolves, it's a scenario that is looking like it'll become the norm.
So other than supporting Hazard as a back-up, what else can Pedro offer this team?
2. Willian
Like Pedro, Willian has fallen victim to the evolution at Chelsea this term. Lacking the same creative spark as his team-mate, however, Willian's plight is even more alarming.
His work rate and endeavour has been Willian's biggest asset. Whether it was last year's 3-4-3 or the dated 4-2-3-1 that preceded it, his energy provided so much for Chelsea as a defensive and attacking unit.
Playing as an out-and-out No.10, those qualities will only get a player so far. And right now for Willian, that means the bench.
He scored twice against Qarabag in the Champions League, yet that was playing in a system designed more for his attributes. His goal that secured a point in the 1-1 draw with LIverpool also came when Chelsea had switched formations as they chased the game, with Willian coming off the bench.
Chelsea are moving away from what we saw last season, and Conte will require players with different qualities to make it successful.
Sadly for Willian, despite his three goals this week, it means his importance to Chelsea is waning, as we're seeing with the lack of game time in 2017/18. He's looking more and more like a squad player.
1. Diego Costa
Yes, he's officially joining Atletico Madrid in January, but Diego Costa remains a Chelsea player until the turn of the year. And judging by how the Blues have got by without him, he isn't being missed one bit.
Indeed, the success of Morata's Chelsea career to date shows the wisdom in Conte preferring to move Costa on than have him remain at Stamford Bridge.
The Spanish international had everything in his repertoire to go on and become a Blues legend, but his presence at Chelsea was always unsettling. He divided opinion with fans, the media and, vitally, referees. Costa ran the gauntlet, and while he was scoring goals, there were times his ill discipline would cost his team-mates.
His disagreement with Conte last January could have cost Chelsea the title had he not been reintegrated to the lineup after missing the trip to Leicester City in the immediate aftermath.
The majority of Chelsea fans didn't want to see Costa leave as he had endeared himself to them with his character and goalscoring prowess. Now the dust has settled on the controversy of his summer strike, though, Chelsea look no weaker in attack than they were at this stage last season.
The stats prove that point: After 11 Premier League appearances last season, Costa had nine goals to his name. This term, Morata has eight, although his three assists mean he's been involved in more.
It's almost swapping like-for-like in that sense, meaning Costa couldn't be further from Chelsea's thoughts.
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