Analysis of false 9s as Chelsea star Eden Hazard proves to be decisive versus Man City

Sooraj Kamath - Writer 23:54 08/12/2018
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  • Eden Hazard

    After an immense game at the Stamford Bridge, Chelsea broke Manchester City’s unbeaten run with a 2-0 win after goals from N’Golo Kante and David Luiz were unmatched by the visitors.  

    Both Maurizio Sarri and Pep Guardiola started without a traditional number nine. Eden Hazard started as a false nine for Chelsea and it was Raheem Sterling who undertook a similar role for City. 

    We take a look at how the two players functioned, how the teams functioned and which player came out on top. 

    Hazard’s role 

    Manchester City are probably the best team in Europe currently and Chelsea accepted that. The hosts abandoned their traditional ‘Sarriball’ and adopted a more cautious approach. Sarri’s men were always looking to shrink the space and the players were not allowed as much freedom as their counterparts in sky-blue were. 

    Hazard was positioned in between City’s line of defence and midfield and was not as involved in the game as much as he usually is. The Belgian was not burdened with the task of pressing the opposition backline and usually positioned himself fairly deep. 

    Sterling’s role 

    On the contrary, Sterling was allowed a lot of freedom and this freedom came with responsibilities. The Englishman’s task was to stretch the field and open up space for Mahrez so that the Algerian could cut in or deliver a ball into the box, whatever was feasible. 

    City often shifted to a 4-2-4 formation with Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva forming a double-pivot and David Silva advancing forward. Sterling would then drop deep to collect the ball and feed it to either of the wings 

    Eden Hazard

    Eden Hazard

    City’s plan to deal with Hazard

    The visitors’ plan to keep Hazard at bay was pretty simple – cut off all passing lanes. The supply to the Belgian was cut-off by the likes of Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva by isolating him from Jorginho. 

    Chelsea’s plan to deal with Sterling 

    On the contrary, Chelsea were not concerned with Sterling seeing a lot of the ball. But the 24-year-old was beaten with numerical superiority every time he got on the ball. At times, Sterling had to deal with four players at a time and was afforded very little space. 

    There was only one winner 

    David Luiz of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with Ross Barkley during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge

    David Luiz of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal with Ross Barkley during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge

    City completely dominated the hosts in the first half but for the first time in over a year, they found themselves trailing at half-time. Strangely, this was Chelsea’s plan all along – resolute defending, finding the most opportune moment and striking. 

    Despite being less involved in build-up compared to Sterling, it was Hazard who made the difference as he set up Chelsea’s opener. The Belgian had three defenders occupied as they attempted to prevent a shot from him. The 27-year-old showed composure as he picked the right moment and found Kante who banged it home. The Frenchman was left unmarked, with the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva sticking to Hazard. 

    Sterling had his moments in the first half when he was involved in quick transitions which usually ended with Sane squaring the ball. The former Liverpool winger should have put the visitors ahead in the first 10 minutes, but a promising sequence of play amounted to nothing as Sterling’s weak shot failed to test Kepa Arrizabalaga.  

     Raheem Sterling of Manchester City is challenged by Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge

    Raheem Sterling of Manchester City is challenged by Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge

    It’s safe to say that Sterling in a false-nine position was not working for City and once Guardiola noticed this, he quickly had the Englishman swap positions with Mahrez. For all their dominance, the defending champions lacked the services of a striker who could probably have made a big difference in the first half. 

    Once Guardiola realised this, he got in Gabriel Jesus and had Sterling to shift to left-wing but it was too late. The hosts were now determined to hold the lead and hence pushed the champions to the brink. Cesar Azpilicueta did well to keep Sterling at bay and was beaten by the youngster on just one occasion, but Rudiger scuffed the trouble in the nick of time. 

    Verdict 

    It was an intriguing battle of wits between two of the best tacticians in the Premier League and Sarri enjoyed his first win over Guardiola, with his false-nine Hazard – who has been off-colour lately – bagging an assist. The Belgian was not particularly spectacular but proved to be decisive. Sterling had his moments of individual brilliance but failed to make an impact. 

    Hazard came out on top but a major chunk of the credit belongs to the man on the touchline, Sarri.  

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