Chelsea ended their 2-1 defeat to champions Arsenal on Sunday with two players who started their careers as right-backs lining up together in midfield. Seriously, after dropping a massive £349 million over the summer transfer window, how in the world did they land themselves in this mess? It was Reece James, who began his career out wide, who flat-out failed to track captain Martin Odegaard as he slotted home Arsenal’s winner at Emirates Stadium. This isn’t just a bad beat, this is a glaring issue for manager Xabi Alonso.
Right-Backs Are Not Midfielders, Folks
Xabi Alonso might believe Reece James can become one of the best midfielders in the world, and yeah, James did perform well otherwise against Arsenal, even spending almost half of last season playing in midfield. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re relying on a converted right-back in a crucial spot against the champions. The legitimate questions about Chelsea’s midfield depth screamed louder than ever when Malo Gusto, another right-back, replaced midfielder Romeo Lavia in the second half. Lavia, by the way, was injured a ton last season, which only adds to the concern. That lax marking on Odegaard’s winner? That’s what happens when your midfield isn’t clicking.
Where’s Moises? And What About Those Missed Signings?
The primary issue right now is the massive absence of midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Ecuador international is out with an unspecified injury for an unknown period, after breaking down just 11 minutes into a substitute appearance against Brighton last week. This leaves Alonso in almost uncharted territory because, outside of suspensions, Caicedo had missed only two matches over the previous three seasons. Alonso admitted they probably brought him back too early last week, saying he doesn’t want to make the same mistake again. But you gotta wonder, did they know Caicedo’s fitness was a ticking time bomb when they were scrambling for central midfielders on transfer deadline day? Monaco pulled the plug on a £47 million move for Lamine Camara at the last minute, leaving officials furious. They also had bids of up to £64 million rejected for Alex Scott earlier in the summer and couldn’t even sign France international Manu Kone. Talk about a brutal string of misses that are biting them hard now.
The League Sees It: Chelsea’s Playing Style Is a Problem
Ashley Young didn’t hold back, pointing out that even without European football this season, Chelsea’s finishing a game against the champions with two right-backs in midfield. He rightly notes that while the front line will send fear throughout the league, the midfield is where they’re vulnerable. Teams are going to watch that Arsenal game and realize Chelsea might sit back and get men behind the ball, but there are still spaces through the lines. Arsenal found them, didn’t they? Young also said Chelsea are giving up a lot of possession and playing counter-attacking football, but against Arsenal, they only capitalized once on the counter with Pedro Neto. That’s not good enough, especially for a squad with such a massive price tag.
With Caicedo sidelined and the midfield looking so thin, Alonso’s got his hands full. They shelled out all that cash, but the lack of true midfield depth is exposed, and it’s costing them. They need to figure this out fast, because the Premier League waits for nobody, and this kind of midfield vulnerability will get chewed up every single week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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