Formation, formation, formation. In addition to all of the talk surrounding Chelsea’s transfer targets and its final squad heading into the season, Thomas Tuchel’s tactical plans have been a huge topic of discussion. The newly extended Blues manager has earned quite a reputation for his formational switches over the years, so it’s understandable that English fans have a lot of questions after not seeing this side of the German last year.

Of course, a lot of Chelsea’s potential schemes have to do with the players the club brings in over the summer. Right now there is minimal traction surrounding an attacking acquisition, with most of the headlines focusing on Jules Kounde, Declan Rice and Aurelien Tchouameni. Tuchel threw everything he had at the wall last year in terms of personnel to try and get the attack to click, but nothing seemed to stick. Therefore, some formational switches could be on the cards for the upcoming campaign.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 27: Thomas Tuchel the head coach / manager of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on January 27, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Sam Bagnall - AMA/Getty Images)

Could we see Chelsea line up in a 3-5-2 this season?

Could Chelsea line up in a 3-5-2 formation this season?

One of the most popular suggestions floating around right now is the 3-5-2. While we’ve not seen many signs pointing toward its integration in Tuchel’s side, it comes with a lot of benefits. Most importantly, it keeps the Blues in a three-at-the-back formation. The team’s desire to sell Kurt Zouma and its willingness to play individuals like Lewis Baker along the back line in order to make things work during the preseason points toward this defensive set-up staying regardless. This is a positive sign as Chelsea has looked better with this formation at the back in recent years. Further, it’s something new that’d possibly work with or without attacking additions.

As mentioned above, the Blues don’t seem to be any closer to signing a No. 9. Erling Haaland is not for sale according to his club and Romelu Lukaku isn’t interested in departing Inter Milan, at least not publicly. This means that Tuchel might have to make do with his current depth at center forward, which includes Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham, Armando Broja and Kai Havertz. A 3-5-2 could work to bring out the best in some of these forwards.

In matches where Tuchel opts for a more unconventional strike force, the German duo of Havertz and Werner could play off one another in the advanced spaces. Werner excels as a second striker, getting into space freed up by one of his teammates. It just so happens that Havertz, his proposed partner in the tactical set-up, is a master at finding space. Havertz’s role would be similar to that of Thomas Muller so many times over the years for Germany; a free-roaming forward who is tasked with getting into tricky spaces that either make the centerbacks uncomfortable or drag them out of position. These instructions would also get the 22-year-old—who is one of the Blues’ best finishers—a lot closer to the goal than last season.

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