Friday 20 October 2017 17:21, UK
What's changed for Chelsea this season? WhoScored.com look at the stats.
Chelsea's 3-3 draw with Roma on Wednesday extended their winless streak to three games in all competitions. It is the worst run of Antonio Conte's short tenure at Stamford Bridge and their indifferent form has caused alarm bells.
With Manchester City now nine points clear at the top of the table and showing no signs of slowing down, Chelsea urgently need a win in Saturday's early kick-off against Watford if they are to stay in the title race.
The last time Chelsea suffered back-to-back Premier League losses prompted Conte's inspired switch to a three-man defence in September last year, but now he's under pressure to find another solution.
So what's changed for the Blues? A lack of European action last season proved to be a blessing as they sauntered to the title, but this season's busier schedule appears to have hindered their progress.
A drop in possession from 54 per cent to 51.4 per cent suggests that Conte has altered Chelsea's style to adequately manage the increase in competitive action as he seeks a more pragmatic approach to matches.
This is clear to see in the fact that Chelsea's tackles per game have risen from 17.2 - the 11th highest return last season - to 19.5 - the second highest this term. As Chelsea sit deeper, they're more aggressive in their pursuit of possession to spring lightning quick counter attacks.
It's no surprise, then, that two of their three highest-rated players according to WhoScored.com are midfield pair N'Golo Kante (7.43) and Tiemoue Bakayoko (7.32), with the duo largely tasked with breaking up play and feeding wing-backs or the two attackers deployed behind the lone striker in their 3-4-2-1 formation.
Chelsea are second only to Huddersfield (12.4) for fouls committed per game in the Premier League this season (12). Only Bournemouth (9.7) committed fewer than Chelsea (10.4) last season.
Conceding so many fouls ramps up the pressure on the Chelsea defence, although, to their credit, they have conceded just once from a set-piece situation in the Premier League after eight games this campaign.
Over time, though, opponents will look to exploit this willingness to give away unnecessary free-kicks and unless a measure of discipline is reintroduced, Chelsea's differing style of play could well come back to haunt them - be it domestically or in the Champions League.
This change in approach to defending is also impacting the way Chelsea attack opponents. With less possession, their chance creation is down from 11.8 per game to 10.3. As a consequence, they have gone from having 15.3 shots per season last season to 12.6 in the new campaign.
If they are to get their season back on track, Conte's best bet might be to re-implement the more measured approach that helped them last season. The champions were effective in their more patient style at both ends of the pitch, yet they seem to be attempting to force the issue more frequently and it's having a detrimental effect.
The new signings have settled in well, notably Alvaro Morata and Bakayoko, but Conte could perhaps do with returning to the drawing board in order to improve the team's fortunes. It's important that teams do not stagnate to develop, but the stats suggest Conte's tactical tweaks appear to be holding Chelsea back rather than pushing them forward.
Granted, his hands have been tied by injuries in recent weeks, meaning the Italian has been forced into a more proactive approach, but reverting to a previous type may be the best way for Chelsea to return to winning ways - starting with Saturday's welcome of Watford.
