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Liam Rosenior will need to pull a rabbit out of the hat when Chelsea lock horns with Arsenal this weekend
Cole Palmer could be given a new role when Chelsea face Arsenal as Liam Rosenior looks to solve his latest problem. The Blues boss will be determined to exact his revenge at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, but he'll need to catch Mikel Arteta off guard to snatch three points.
In the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final earlier this month, Rosenior threw a spanner in the works with a specialised game plan, and it almost paid off. The 41-year-old scrapped the back-four which he had used in each of his previous games as Chelsea head coach and went for a back five.
Rather than throw Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian in the deep-end, who had both only recently returned to action following a knock and compassionate leave, respectively, Rosenior put Liam Delap on the right wing. Unsurprisingly, the former Ipswich Town striker didn't create much, although he proved a nuisance, which was ultimately his primary role.
The former Strasbourg boss caught Arteta off-guard with his tactics, and it would've paid off had his players hit the target more than just twice from 11 attempts. Despite going out of his way to mix things up a bit, Rosenior still played into the Arsenal boss' hands.
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Chelsea angled to finish many of their moves down the left-hand side, just as they have for much of the season. As shown in the graphic by Devils Club below, which visualises Premier League teams' most common box entries this season, the Blues have become predictable.
With Palmer either carrying or nursing an injury for much of the season, Chelsea have capitalised on the quality of Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, who have both enjoyed arriving late in the box from the left wing and left half-space, respectively.
With Reece James often playing as an inverted full-back too, the Blues have been naturally drawn down the left. If Rosenior really wants to catch Arteta off guard this time around, Chelsea should make a real effort to funnel build-up down the right.
Earlier this month, the Englishman was asked what Palmer's best position was. Keeping his cards close to his chest, Rosenior said: "He's played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest, but when he's at his best, he's unstoppable.
"I'm delighted to be working with him," he added. "When Cole is fully fit, full firing, feeling good, he's a magnificent footballer.
"When you're at a club like this club, with its huge demands and scrutiny – which I'm starting to learn myself – you have to block out the noise and remember what a good player you are.
"I love working with him, he loves being here, and hopefully he can really enjoy his football between now and the end of the season, because it will help us on the pitch."
In January, Rosenior was asked a similar question about James. He said: "He’s a very, very good player. Good players can play in many positions. I’ve analysed the recent games and I have to say Reece, in terms of his impact, his performances, he’s growing every day.
"It’s exciting to be working with Reece. Especially at this stage of his career. He has levels he can go to even beyond where he is now. What I’ve learned already is they all want success, not just Reece or the leadership group, but all of them."
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