Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are currently two for two in the UEFA Conference League, having beaten Gent 4-2 in the opening fixture, and Panathinaikos 4-1 in the second fixture.
This leaves the Blues top of the Conference League table on six points, scoring eight goals and conceding three. Chelsea take on FC Noah in the third clash, who have won one and lost one, leaving them on three points in 18th place.
One man who is likely to start, and who has been playing well in this competition for the Blues so far, is Ukrainian superstar, Mykhailo Mudryk.
Mykhailo Mudryk's form
Mudryk joined Chelsea in the 2022/23 January transfer window, joining from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of around £88.5m, some of which is add-ons.
Since joining, the 23-year-old has made 70 appearances for the Blues, scoring eight goals, providing nine assists, and totalling 3,411 minutes played.
The Ukrainian speedster hasn’t lived up to the price tag and potential thus far, but under Maresca, the winger is starting to find himself in better positions to thrive and get the best of his skillset.
So far this season, Mudryk has made 12 appearances, scoring one goal, and providing five assists in 648 minutes played.
Being isolated in 1v1 scenarios out wide with opposition full-backs, having runners in the halfspaces for him to pick out with his clever passing, and having that extra coaching detail to attack the back post in the box, and get himself goals in this fashion, have all seen improvements for Mudryk.
But there is another change Maresca could make ahead of the Noah game in order to get the very best from the mega-money signing.
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How Chelsea can improve Mudryk further
Described as having “pure quality” by Jacek Kulig, Enzo Fernández could be unleashed in a deeper role against Noah, replacing Moises Caicedo and Roméo Lavia.
The 23-year-old thrives in this deeper role, being able to use his expansive passing range, pick out his teammates, and kickstart attacks from deep zones.
By putting Mudryk on the left, and continuing to add the extra coaching details for the Ukrainian to make runs in behind and attack the box, both players could benefit, allowing Fernandez the opportunity to play those longer balls in behind, and the Ukraine international the chance to stretch his legs and show off his electric pace.
The midfielder has made 75 appearances for the Blues since joining in that same 2022/23 January transfer window as Mudryk, scoring seven goals, providing six assists, and totalling 5,823 minutes played.
But in recent weeks, the Argentina international has found himself on the bench, with Caicedo and Lavia forming a more physical midfield duo, providing Chelsea with that little bit more defensive balance out of possession. Maresca even said the only reason Fernandez finds himself on the bench currently, is because he prefers the “physicality” of his other two battling midfielders. As a result, he’s been linked with a possible exit in the direction of Barcelona.
So what do Caicedo and Lavia bring to the team that Maresca values and what can Fernandez bring that is different to them?
Caicedo & Lavia compared to Fernandez
Caicedo joined the club for around £115m from Brighton in August 2023. Since then, the 23-year-old has made 60 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and posting six assists.
Lavia also joined the club in August 2023, signing for a fee of around £58m from Southampton. The 20-year-old had a tough first year in London, suffering from multiple big injuries, the biggest being a hamstring problem which kept him out for 28 games. Therefore, Lavia has only made seven appearances for the Blues.
Goals
0.10
0.00
0.00
Assists
0.20
0.33
0.00
xAG
0.16
0.17
0.15
Progressive Carries
0.92
0.67
1.10
Progressive Passes
5.10
3.33
5.21
Shots Total
0.61
0.00
0.84
Key Passes
0.92
1.00
1.51
Passes into Final Third
5.51
5.33
5.48
Shot-Creating Actions
2.14
1.33
2.74
Tackles
3.57
3.33
2.60
Blocks
1.33
1.33
1.23
Interceptions
1.73
2.33
0.36
Instantly, the defensive actions stand out when analysing the trio’s metrics so far this season, with Caicedo and Lavia making more tackles, more blocks, and more interceptions per 90. Part of the reasoning for this is the deeper positions they are placed in (holding midfield) compared to Fernandez, who has often had to push slightly higher to help the team.
However, it is obvious Caicedo and Lavia are more physically able, covering ground, winning duels and recovering at pace. Fernandez, whilst not bad at duelling and winning tackles moving from side to side, his ability to get up and down the pitch quickly isn’t as good as the other two.
The metrics tell us that the South American does bring a more creative spark to the team, leading the trio in progressive carries, progressive passes, key passes, and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. His ability to find line-breaking balls, and get the team into advantageous positions purely through his passing ability is a huge positive when he is in the team.
Maresca is often finding himself making the decisions for his midfield based on what the opposition can offer, with all three of Caicedo, Lavia and Fernandez starting against Manchester City on the opening day, for that extra level of control and solidity.
Whilst having one of these three on the bench isn’t what they will want, having three midfielders of this calibre is only a positive for the Chelsea boss, and across the entirety of the season, it is likely having this midfield quality and depth will play into their hands, allowing Maresca to make tactical tweaks at his own peril.
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