After one of their worst defensive campaigns in recent history last season, conceding 63 goals in 38 games, there looks to be a slight improvement at Chelsea under new manager, Enzo Maresca.
Last season, the Blues were conceding 14.6 shots per game on average (7th highest in the division). So far this campaign, Chelsea are only conceding 11.1 shots per game (5th fewest).
Despite conceding fewer shots per game, the Blues have still conceded 23 goals in their opening 19 games, showing there is still much room for improvement by tweaking the personnel within their system.jtA
Premier League team wants to sign Chelsea defender
According to reports from reporter Graeme Bailey, West Ham United hold an interest in signing Axel Disasi from Chelsea. The report also stated the Blues would be open to letting the centre-back leave, due to the arrival of Tosin Adarabioyo in the summer on a free transfer
Chelsea signed Disasi from Monaco for a fee of £38.8m in 2023, and the Frenchman has since gone on to make 59 appearances for the Blues, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
The 26-year-old defender did his best work under Mauricio Pochettino last season, playing with a slightly deeper defensive line, being able to defend more often in his own box, winning aerial duels and putting in blocks.
However, since the arrival of Maresca, the responsibility and role of the central defenders has changed, which has had a negative effect on Disasi's form, notably giving the ball away in awful fashion for Ipswich's second strike last weekend. It was a moment that one Chelsea podcaster and content creator labelled as an "embarrassing" one.
How Disasi compares to Wesley Fofana
Wesley Fofana started the season extremely strong for Chelsea, making 12 appearances, contributing to three clean sheets, and totalling 1,017 minutes played.
Fofana-Caicedo-Chelsea
The 24-year-old is the perfect profile for the task Maresca is setting, with defenders pressing in a man-to-man fashion, looking to be aggressive and then having to recover larger distances at speed.
Since the Frenchman suffered from a hamstring injury, Maresca has struggled to find the right balance in his backline, trying Benoit Badiashile as a right central defender (despite being left-footed), using Malo Gusto as the right-back, becoming a right central defender on the ball, and then also using Disasi in this role.
Disasi vs Fofana comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
Disasi
Fofana
Goals + Assists
0.36
0.00
Progressive Carries
0.95
1.24
Progressive Passes
3.68
2.21
Passes Attempted
79.4
62.2
Pass Completion %
92.8%
89.6%
Tackles
1.37
1.15
Blocks
1.16
0.53
Interceptions
0.80
1.06
Ball Recoveries
3.26
4.34
Aerial Duels Won
1.05
2.04
Stats taken from FBref
The key difference between Disasi and Fofana when analysing their usage in this role for Maresca's side is their ability to win their duels further away from their own box, often tracking players into midfield areas.
The former Leicester defender is able to do this, using his physical attributes, making plenty of ball recoveries, winning aerial duels by attacking them with purpose, and stepping in front of his man to make interceptions.
Disasi, on the other hand, is often slightly more flat-footed and doesn't have the same agility and pace of Fofana to stay with his man. The 26-year-old also doesn't have the same ability to carry the ball forward when opposition teams drop off, another reason Maresca loves the latter due to his ability to drive the team away out of deep zones.
Wesley Fofana injury
Now is clearly the right time for Chelsea to move Disasi on, looking to replace him with a more suitable profile to the way Maresca wants his team to play, whether that's in the transfer market, or promoting and giving more minutes to academy graduate, Josh Acheampong.
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