Chelsea’s change of system fixes one problem but exposes another against Valencia

STAMFORD BRIDGE — Amid all the talk of new players, a new era of youth and a new manager, it was an old system that appeared to be Chelsea’s undoing on Tuesday night.

While academy graduates Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori have grabbed all the headlines with their attacking exploits, it is defending that has been of most serious concern to Frank Lampard.

Chelsea had conceded 13 goals in the first six games of the new manager’s reign and looked like keeping their first clean sheet of the season against Valencia on Tuesday night until Rodrigo Moreno’s 74th minute strike made it 14.

Lampard employed the same 3-4-3 formation first used in the 5-2 win over Wolves at the weekend, a change in part forced by injury but also one with a nod to the tools he has at his disposal.

New chance for old boys

The two most obvious beneficiaries of the change of system – one fewer attacking player and one added defender – are Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso; part of the furniture for years at Chelsea but increasingly looking like old sofas lying unloved in the corner of Stamford Bridge this season.

The Spaniards were mainstays of the title winning team in Antonio Conte’s first season as the Italian coach flummoxed his Premier League counterparts with the introduction of the 3-4-3 – albeit with Azpilicueta mostly as one of the centre-backs and Alonso at wing-back.

Alonso, always dangerous going forward, but susceptible defensively, was also a regular in Maurizio Sarri’s early days but faded out of the first team after the emergence of Emerson Palmieri after Christmas.

This season he had been all but non-existent, playing only one minute of action prior to the 5-2 win over Wolves.

Mixed fortunes

The 28-year-old looked rusty last night, often wasting possession when finding himself in decent positions down the left but did enough to suggest he can be more of a threat once he regains some sharpness.

Azpilicueta, who Lampard had to publicly defend last week following criticism of his form, had more joy down the right, creating the majority of Chelsea’s chances in the first half while linking up with the lively Willian.

Another benefit is that the system looks better suited to Chelsea’s inexperienced centre-backs. With the departures of David Luiz and Gary Cahill over the summer, plus Antonio Rudiger’s injury, Kurt Zouma, 24, was the elder statesman of a back three here alongside Andreas Christensen, 23, and Fikayo Tomori, 21.

Tomori and Zouma both found themselves out of position at times, in the way that young defenders understandably can at this high level, but were bailed out by their partners.

Missing link

But for all that added defensive stability, Chelsea were stunted in attack, particularly after the departure of Mason Mount following a nasty tackle from Francis Coquelin.

Without the young Englishman there was a disjointed feel to the midfield and forward line and, as has been the case in every game this season, Chelsea look very much like a work in progress rather than the finished article.