Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, has admitted he has to change his tactics, to stand a chance of victory against Manchester City on Sunday.
This might see Eden Hazard return to a false nine position.
Hazard has expressed his preference for playing as a winger in the past, but Sarri likes to move the Belgian to the centre in games where his team cannot dominate possession as they usually do.
Chelsea beat City 2-0 at home in December when Hazard played in the ‘false nine’ role and ahead of Sunday’s trip to the Etihad Stadium, Sarri has hinted at another tactical switch against Pep Guardiola’s side.
“At the moment the situation is different. We have another striker [Higuain instead of Morata].
“We can make another decision. But I don’t know; maybe we will play with a ‘false nine’. I have to decide.
“The situation is not like the other match, so I can decide something different or have a ‘false nine’. I expect Guardiola’s team want to always be in control of the match, always in possession of the ball and they’re able to do it. So, it’s a very difficult match.
“We are used to having the ball and possession so, on Sunday, it will be very different. Maybe we have to defend lower. [In December] they were able to press us in our half. It wasn’t a choice. It was a necessity. So, I think on Sunday it will be the same.
“You know very well that the midfield of Manchester City is one of the best in the world, not only Fernandinho but also Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, David Silva. Technically, they’re the best midfield in Europe at the moment, so it will be really very difficult to be in control of the match.
“We will try to play our football, but if they are able to play their football, of course, you have to stay lower. In the first match, we were lucky to score. Then, especially the first 20, 25 minutes of the second half, they gave us spaces, so it was a little bit easier,” Sarri told reporters at Cobham Training Centre.
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