Scout Notes – Chelsea Held By Barca

A defensive error costs Chelsea a Champions League win against Barcelona as the Blues begin a season-defining run of fixtures.

As detailed in our recent Burning Question article, the jury is out on whether to sell or keep Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) most productive defender, Marcos Alonso.

Many managers have already made up their mind – the Spaniard is Gameweek 28’s most sold player, with 130,000+ moving him on – and one of the key reasons for that is his side’s brutal schedule.

That started last night with the first leg of their European tussle against Barcelona; a match which finished 1-1 to set up an intriguing return at Camp Nou in three weeks’ time.

The visitors’ away goal, from Lionel Messi, gave them the edge in the tie, but Chelsea will have been heartened by a disciplined display in which they took the lead when the excellent Willian found the net from an Eden Hazard pass.

The Brazilian also hit both posts as the Blues allowed Barca most of the possession, but precious few sights of goal.

Coach Antonio Conte made seven changes from the team that beat Hull City in the FA Cup at the weekend, with only Antonio Rudiger, Cesc Fabregas, Willian and Pedro retaining their places.

Alonso returned after a three-match absence in all competitions, but the manager’s biggest call was to keep both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench, opting for a fluid front three in which Hazard was deployed as a false nine to flood the central areas and force Barca to attack down the flanks.

That move has tended to reduce the Belgian’s offensive threat this season, and so it proved again last night as he managed just two attempts on goal, neither of which were on target.

Post-match, Conte was quick to praise the front trio’s recent impact, with Willian’s displays lauded in particular.

“I think our three strikers played very well, they played a fantastic game. Willian played really well against Hull and scored twice. In the last three games we scored eight goals and six have come from Pedro, Willian and Hazard, they work very well together.

Willian has the potential to play this type of game in every game and I hope to see this for a long time. Against Hull he was fantastic, tonight he was fantastic and when you play in this way the coach doesn’t have any doubts about you playing.”

The worry for Hazard’s 8.2% FPL ownership (and, indeed, those holding Morata or Giroud) is that Conte could employ similar tactics again as the Blues travel to Man United on Sunday and then host Man City the week after.

A London derby with Crystal Palace, the return leg in Barcelona and a Gameweek 31 blank when they play an FA Cup quarter-final at Leicester City follow before March’s international break.

And when all that is done and dusted, Chelsea will still have the small matter of a Gameweek 32 visit from Spurs to contend with.

The major concern will surround that visit from Palace in Gameweek 30 – four days before the trip to the Nou Camp. Conte’s teamsheet for the Eagles visit will be difficult to call. While he is unlikely to risk resting key men at United or City, that would not be the case for the encounter with Roy Hodgson’s charges.

Sales of their most popular players, Cesar Azpilicueta (22%) and Alonso (20.8%), have been ongoing for the past six and two Gameweeks respectively and look set to continue.

But the Blues’ form has picked up since shock defeats to Bournemouth and Watford, and it took a loose pass from Andreas Christensen to hand Barca their equaliser last night. The young Dane has endured sales of his own in six of the last seven Gameweeks as a series of ill-timed injuries denied his FPL ownership clean sheet points.

Given their resilience against the La Liga leaders, many FPL owners could now consider sticking with the Blues’ defensive assets for Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford.

Chelsea have kept three clean sheets in the last five Gameweeks, while Man United have scored just three goals in four league matches as the balance of the side has been compromised by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window.

Hazard owners will hope that Conte will opt for a more progressive side involving Morata or Giroud on Sunday as that would allow the Belgian to play in his most effective role as a free-roaming support for the lone striker.

FPL managers are clearly torn as to what to do with the midfielder at present.

He’s the team’s most bought player of Gameweek 28, with close to 20,000 new owners, while 22,000+ have also sold him on – behind only Alonso and Azpilicueta.

But with Man City and a blank Gameweek looming ever larger, the days of most Chelsea assets are surely numbered until their schedule turns kind again from Gameweek 33, with at least one double Gameweek to factor in as well.