Key man Luiz can ensure Chelsea end Arsenal's title hopes
As results elsewhere went in their favour in midweek, Chelsea were a penalty away from taking an 11-point lead at the top of the Premier League. While the Blues will ultimately be more than satisfied with the nine-point gap between themselves at second-placed Tottenham coming into the next round of fixtures, Diego Costa’s lame penalty ensured the shares were spoiled between the Blues and Liverpool at Anfield. It also meant that some semblance of a title race remains and gave those chasing Chelsea a glimmer of hope of catching the Premier League leaders ahead of what could well be a crucial fixture in the race for domestic glory.
Arsenal make the short trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend and are – like Spurs – nine points off Chelsea. After at long last ending their hoodoo against the Blues against the Emirates back in September, the Gunners will be out to do the double over Chelsea in the league for the first time since the 2003/04 season. A 2-1 loss at home to Watford in midweek will hardly have boosted morale, but they can take encouragement from the comfortable 3-0 win over Chelsea earlier this season. That victory, though, prompted manager Antonio Conte to revert to a three-man defence and the Blues haven’t looked back since.
The loss at the time saw Chelsea fall eight points behind then league leaders Manchester City and it seemed nigh-on impossible for the west London side to haul themselves back to the Premier League’s summit, let alone establish a nine-point lead at the top at the beginning of February. Yet the change to a 3-4-3 formation has undoubtedly reaped the benefits. Since the loss at Arsenal, Chelsea have won 15 of 17 league games, falling to defeat just the once. In that run, Conte’s side have conceded just seven goals and have shipped the joint-fewest Premier League goals this term as a result (16).
While ample praise has been distributed throughout the squad, the impact of David Luiz cannot be overstated. His smartly taken free kick on Tuesday night was his seventh Premier League goal and his first upon his return to Chelsea over the summer. Many scoffed at the Brazilian’s signing, with Luiz seen as a last resort for Conte in a bid to bolster an aging backline. Indeed, the Blues were linked with moves for Leonardo Bonucci, Kalidou Koulibaly and Alessio Romagnoli before making a late move for the 29-year-old fan favourite.
Yet while the transfer was castigated by many, Luiz has proven just why Chelsea returned for the centre-back in the dying embers of the window. Many had looked to his charismatic approach to defending as a stick with which to beat him with, but he’s undeniably proven his doubters wrong this term. A WhoScored rating of 7.17 may not be his best in a Chelsea shirt, but remains a respectable return. Since Chelsea’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation, that number may only rise to 7.21, but having been widely criticised in the past, it’s a period of consistency that goes to show how far Luiz has come since his first stint in England.
As the central defender in the three-man backline, there is less pressure on Luiz to carry out his defensive duties, safe in the knowledge he has Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta either side of the Brazil international to shoulder this responsibility. This then allows Luiz to push upfield to maximise his distribution quality, with he averaging the third most accurate long balls per game (4.5) of all Chelsea players. A willingness to push forward also helps limit opponents’ opportunities with 1.7 interceptions per league game also ranking highly of all Blues performers this term.
Only two teams are conceding fewer shots per game than Chelsea (8.4) in the Premier League this season, with Luiz’s impact evidently helping the team. Considering Arsenal have scored the most away goals in England’s top tier this term (27), Luiz needs to maintain his good form in order to ensure another clean sheet for Chelsea at Arsenal’s expense. Alexis Sanchez is likely to be the man the centre-back comes up against on Saturday, with the Chilean scoring 15 league goals this season and contributing a further eight assists.
As the Premier League’s highest rated player (7.89), Alexis is a frontman who needs to be kept at bay. With Cahill and Azpilicueta in support, Luiz will be afforded the space to press forward and limit the 28-year-old to ensure the Arsenal attack is unable to test Thibaut Courtois. Conte said upon Luiz’s return to Stamford Bridge: “He has good characteristics to become a fantastic defender in the world.” The Italian felt he could improve the centre-back and he’s stood by his statement with Luiz proving why Chelsea spent big to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. Another strong showing on Saturday will only help dispel the doubters who were out in force upon his return to London.
