Enzo Maresca could not be more explicit when talking about end-to-end football.
“After we concede the goal we lose a little bit our way to control the game,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in September. “The game starts to be a bit up and down — transitions. That for us isn’t our football.”
This tallies with Chelsea’s approach on the field, but there’s a counter-attacking threat in the team’s style of play that is hard to ignore.
The profiles of Chelsea’s forwards — in terms of pace and dribbling ability — alongside Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo’s ball-winning skills and Cole Palmer’s passing is the perfect recipe for attacking on the transition.
“For sure we have players in the wide areas or in front that they can attack quick,” said Maresca in November before facing Manchester United.
“But, I said many times the problem when you attack quick is then they are going to attack quick, and then become like Newcastle (match) — up and down, up and down.”
It’s interesting though that Chelsea have been increasingly attacking on the transition this season, which is visible in their direct-attacks numbers. These are defined as possessions that start in a team’s own half and result in either a shot or a touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — in other words, a counter-attack.
Chelsea’s rate of 4.3 direct attacks per 90 in the Premier League this season is the highest in the division. Meanwhile, they are limiting the opponents’ counter-attacks with only 2.1 direct attacks conceded per game — the best rate in the top-flight.
Another thing to note is that Chelsea’s direct-attacks numbers in the Premier League this season is their highest since 2018-19.
Considering the type of players Chelsea have, attacking on the transition is a valuable tool that the team has been using when there’s an opportunity to hit on the break. It has been smartly used with the players knowing how to react when Maresca’s side retrieves possession.
Chelsea’s second goal in the 2-1 victory against Brentford last Sunday came on the transition after Caicedo won the ball in midfield.
Here, Caicedo immediately plays the ball to Fernandez. Before it reaches the Argentina midfielder, Nicolas Jackson sprints to attack the space behind Brentford’s left centre-back, Nathan Collins.
Fernandez then plays the ball into Jackson’s path…
… and Chelsea are in a two-versus-two situation against Brentford’s centre-backs.
It is important to note the positioning of Palmer on the outside of Sepp van den Berg to be on the blind side of the defender, while Jackson’s run into the space Collins vacated ensures that he isolates Ethan Pinnock. If Jackson had received the ball centrally, Van den Berg would have been in a position to support his centre-back.
In the one-on-one, Jackson sets up the shot with his right foot and strikes the ball into the bottom corner to score Chelsea’s second.
Jackson’s off-ball movement on the counter was also beneficial in Chelsea’s first goal against Newcastle United in October. However, the Senegal forward was playing a different role in that attack — one similar to Palmer’s in the previous example.
When Chelsea retrieve the ball near the edge of their own penalty area, Jackson is central and Pedro Neto is down the left wing with Newcastle’s full-backs out of position.
As Malo Gusto plays the ball to Palmer, Neto surges forward to attack the space behind Tino Livramento and Jackson adjusts his position to be able to attack the space while being on Dan Burn’s blind side.
Palmer finds Neto’s run behind Livramento with a mind-boggling pass, while Jackson’s adjusted position…
… means that he can attack the space from Burn’s blind spot, where the centre-back is unable to see him and the ball at the same time.
On the other side, Neto gets past Fabian Schar with his pace…
… before squaring the ball to Jackson, who scores with a one-touch finish.
Another feature of Chelsea’s counter-attacks is how their wingers spring into action once the team retrieves the ball, and Maresca’s preference of using out-and-out wingers as his widest players means that the players attacking the space are ones whose profiles fit the transitional situation.
In this example, against Palace in September, Levi Colwill wins the ball and plays it to Noni Madueke out wide. Meanwhile, Neto dashes forward on the other side of the pitch, with Palace’s wing-backs trying to recover.
Madueke’s pace and dribbling ability make him lethal in these positions, and he easily dribbles past Will Hughes, with Palmer, Jackson and Neto supporting the counter-attack.
Neto’s initial movement when Chelsea start the transition puts him in a threatening position towards the far post, while Jackson attacks a similar space to be in the blind side of Palace’s centre-backs.
Simultaneously, Palmer is attacking a different space…
… and his run attracts Nathaniel Clyne as Madueke finds the Chelsea midfielder.
Palmer then plays the ball across goal and Jackson scores into an empty net.
It’s a four-versus-two situation when Chelsea are nearing the edge of the penalty area, but by making the right runs they are providing different options to force the Palace defenders into unfavourable decisions.
In another example, from the 5-1 victory against Southampton this month, Fernandez retrieves the ball and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall instantaneously attacks the space behind the advancing left-back.
At the same moment, Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho spring forward to attack the space…
… and provide different options on the transition. Fernandez then plays the ball to Gusto…
… which forces Southampton’s centre-backs to defend the central space. This leaves Chelsea’s forwards unmarked in the wide areas and positioned on the blind side of the centre-backs.
Gusto then finds Sancho’s run, with Christopher Nkunku and Felix offering a crossing option towards the back post.
However, Sancho goes by himself and blasts the ball into the back of the net.
The guidelines Chelsea are following on attacking transitions in terms of attacking the wide spaces, positioning themselves in the blind side of the defenders and springing their wingers after winning the ball complement the profiles of the players and Maresca’s preferences.
The counter isn’t Chelsea’s main attacking method, but it is a useful option that adds to their strengths.
(Top photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
