Gonzalo Higuain & Maurizio Sarri 2.0: A Chelsea evolution

There was great intrigue and a few jokes when newspapers lavished their back pages with the news that Chelsea were looking at bringing in former Napoli and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain. There was talk of a duplication of forward players, and even suggestions that an under-pressure Maurizio Sarri was trying to turn back the clock to happier days in Naples.

However there is more than desperation at play in Sarri’s move for the burly Argentinian. Below we look at key tactical, technical and statistical evidence. These look to suggest that Higuain may be the attacking piece amiss in Chelsea’s attack. This player analysis defines why he is the final piece in the evolution of Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri.

Setting Eden Hazard free

Eden Hazard, arguably among the best attackers in world football, has spoken plainly about his preference for being played on the left wing. Most feel his use of both feet, ability to play in tight spaces, trickery and finishing ability are wasted in a central position. This is especially so in a league that has embraced playing in the half-space. This is where Eden Hazard believes he is best suited.

Among the top five teams in the Premier League, only Tottenham have an equal preference in using both sides in their attacks. Their right and left sides are utilised as attacking platforms an identical 37% of the time. Chelsea’s preferred side of attack is on the left at 39%, while the right side features only slightly less at 34%.

The interesting part though is that Chelsea’s shot direction is 25% on the left but only 14% on the right. This proves that Chelsea’s left side is tactically more efficient than the right. This is the side Eden Hazard favours of course.

Statistically