Maurizio Sarri needs response from Chelsea against Tottenham

Maurizio Sarri's side lost 2-0 to Arsenal on Saturday

Maurizio Sarri had a point about Chelsea's attitude yet he additionally has inquiries to answer himself, composes Nick Wright.

Unmistakably Maurizio Sarri implied business from the minute he walked into the question and answer session room at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening. The Chelsea supervisor sat down and, rather than the standard delay before the opening inquiry, reported that he would talk in his local Italian. "I need my message to be clear," he clarified.



He surely prevailing on that front. In the astounding assault on his players that pursued, Sarri demanded Arsenal had been "unquestionably progressively decided" than his side and moaned about Chelsea's absence of "fierceness". "This is something I can't acknowledge," he proceeded. "Doubtlessly this gathering of players is amazingly hard to propel."
Sarri's upheaval was unprecedented yet he was qualified for be irate. Out on the pitch, his Chelsea side had appeared to be overawed from the primary moment. By the last whistle, the following information indicated they had been beaten by an entire five kilometers. Munititions stockpile additionally won 69 singular duels to Chelsea's 54. The numbers underlined the bay between the
opposite sides as far as application and try.

                                               Chelsea were second best at the Emirates Stadium


Sarri has bet by freely scrutinizing his players in such solid terms so from the get-go in his residency, yet you would be hard-pushed to contend that he doesn't have a point. This Chelsea squad have won Premier League titles, however they are additionally alarmingly inclined to fall. Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte would surely vouch for that.

"It's only a changing area which can turn it on and off like a tap, it's possessed the capacity to do that for a considerable length of time," said Sky Sports intellectual Gary Neville. "Sarri has presumably thought he's an accomplished person, he's obtained a lifetime of experience already, and supposes he doesn't have to take it."

Neville on Chelsea player control

Sarri should now seek after a positive reaction from his players, beginning in Thursday's Carabao Cup semi-last against Tottenham, however his hazardous remarks ought not shield him from investigation himself. The 59-year-old has been entrusted with bringing 'Sarri-ball' to the Premier League however so far it has hurled a bigger number of inquiries than answers.

The football has been stodgy and the superseding feeling is that players are being crowbarred into a framework which does not suit them. N'Golo Kante has been moved from his characteristic holding job to the directly of three-man midfield to oblige Jorginho. Chelsea fans have been comparably confused by Sarri's ongoing organization of Eden Hazard as a false nine.

Sarri has not been helped by the absence of a top-class striker from his squad - an issue he hopes to remedy with the loan signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus - but it has still been curious to see Hazard moved into a position he clearly does not relish while Olivier Giroud, a player he describes as "a pleasure to play with", kicks his heels on the bench.

It's not just Kante and Hazard, either. Sarri's 4-3-3 system has required a significant reshuffle at the back, with Marcos Alonso moving from left wing-back to full-back and Cesar Azpilicueta moving from right-sided centre-back to right-back. David Luiz, so often outstanding in the centre of a back three, is no longer afforded the same protection.

Sarri, though, has shown little appetite to change course.

So far this season, Chelsea have made just 29 line-up changes in 23 games - the second-fewest in the Premier League along with Wolves. Sarri's substitutions are often predictable, and from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Andreas Christensen to Ethan Ampadu and Danny Drinkwater, there is a long line of players who have been afforded little or no playing time.

Frustrated supporters would love to see Sarri relax his approach and adopt some flexibility in the face of adversity, but the reality is that that is unlikely to happen. He seldom deviated away from his favoured system and personnel at Napoli and there is no reason believe that will change now.

"I am a good teacher of this football," said Sarri after Saturday's game. "I don't think it would be a good idea if I try to teach my players a different type of football. There will be some changes perhaps, but there will be no massive upheaval."
Instead, Sarri will continue to do things his way, knowing the thrilling brand of football he implemented at Napoli is precisely the reason why he was brought to Chelsea in the first place. He might also be emboldened by how Manchester City and Liverpool have grasped Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp's ideas after difficult starts.

                                   Maurizio Sarri is determined to stick with his philosophy

It seems Sarri still has the backing of his players - "Everybody is trusting his job and everybody is with him," said Luiz on Saturday - but what's less clear is whether there is patience at the top of the club. Roman Abramovich's finger is never far away from the trigger when it comes to managers. If the past tells us anything, it's that Sarri needs his vision to take shape quickly.
That won't be easy with an unbalanced squad which is still unsuited to his style, but Sarri's explosive comments at the Emirates Stadium suggests he knows he needs to see progress sooner rather than later. One way or the other, the prospects of 'Sarri-ball' succeeding at Chelsea will become clearer after Thursday's meeting with Spurs.