Should Fabregas be a permanent fixture in the Chelsea XI?
With 55 minutes on the clock, Cesc Fabregas trotted off the pitch to the sound of rapturous applause. The Spaniard made his first league start of the season at Arsenal back in September, yet it was a forgettable return to the Emirates for the midfielder. Fabregas failed to influence the game in a manner befitting his quality and with Arsenal defeating their London rivals Chelsea with ease, it could well have spelt out the beginning of the end for the 29-year-old’s time Stamford Bridge. His replacement that Saturday was Marcos Alonso, which signified Antonio Conte’s decision to revert to a three-man defence.
The rest, as they say, is history. Since the switch up in system, the Blues have surged to the summit of the Premier League. Defeat that day at Arsenal saw them fall three points behind the Gunners. A 2-1 win at West Ham on Monday night saw Chelsea pull 16 points clear of Arsene Wenger’s side and they're now leading the chasing pack by 10 points. As disappointing as the 3-0 loss to Arsenal was back in September, that defeat proved to be a blessing in disguise for Chelsea, with the west London side on course to secure the Premier League title. After a less than impressive showing at Arsenal, his role in any bid for Chelsea to regain their crown was seemingly in doubt.
In the loss to the north London side, Fabregas gained a rating of just 5.83, his worst return in a Premier League fixture this season. Indeed, following his disappointing outing, he did not start a league game for almost two months and a January exit was thought to be a very real possibility. Instead, Oscar and John Obi Mikel both departed Stamford Bridge for the Chinese Super League as Fabregas remained to battle for a place in the starting XI. While he has featured from the off on just seven occasions this season, though, back-to-back Premier League starts suggest he has turned a corner under Conte.
With Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante the intial preferred midfield pairing in Conte's 3-4-3 formation, Fabregas’ time on the pitch has been minimal this term. He has registered just 729 minutes of Premier League action, but he has made the most of his time on the pitch since his outing at the Emirates, of that there is no doubt. The former Barcelona man has three goals - the sweetest of which would have undoubtedly been the third in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge last month - and seven assists to his name this term, which is a hugely respectable return for a player who has struggled for league starts this season.
Unsurprisingly, Fabregas is a registering an assist more frequently (every 104.1 minutes) than any other player to make five or more Premier League starts this season. A goal or assist every 73 minutes is a splendid return for the Chelsea star as he excels when called upon. It’s a different weapon in Conte’s arsenal with which to utilise as well, with Fabregas and Matic different midfielders in both stature and style. Matic is very much the powerful middle man required to rob the opposition of the ball, noted in that he is averaging 1.9 tackles per 90, while only Kante (122) has won possession in the midfield third more times than Matic (92) of all Chelsea players in the Premier League this season.
53.8 passes per game with a 87.7% success rate is also a respectable return, with the Serbian’s duty primarily to win the ball before recycling possession, which he does to a high standard. That being said, Fabregas isn’t one to shirk the nitty gritty side of a game, noted in a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘defensive contribution’. He is making 2 tackles per 90 in the Premier League this season and 1.6 interceptions, which is only slightly lower than Matic's return of 1.8 interceptions per 90. With Kante performing the bulk of the defensive duties in midfield, however, this leaves a midfielder spare to help probe and pry apart opponents.
It’s here where Fabregas excels, with 3.7 key passes per 90 better than any current Premier League player to make at least 15 appearances this season. While he is often on set piece duty when he features, his ability to create from open play means Chelsea have an added goal threat to their game. Given Eden Hazard and Pedro’s mobility, not to mention Alonso and Victor Moses’ willingness to push forward on a whim, Fabregas has a number of attacking outlets to utilise his creativity. What’s more, with Conte implementing a counter-attacking style of play, the Spain international is more than capable of maximising his vision and distribution to kickstart these attacking moves.
The Blues have scored more counter-attacking goals (5) than any other Premier League team this season, with Fabregas a crucial part of this, averaging more accurate long balls per 90 (6.8) than any other Chelsea player. His most recent showing in the 2-1 win over West Ham may not have grabbed headlines like he managed in the 3-1 win over Swansea the previous week, but his good form in his sporadic appearances has certainly played a key role in helping Chelsea’s remain at the summit of England’s top tier. It's yet to be seen whether he retains his starting spot in the foreseeable future or whether Conte will reinstate Matic into the starting XI, but Fabregas has shone when required, with his creative impact ensuring he remains a valuable member of the Blues squad.
