Liam Rosenior tested Pedro Neto in the number 10 spot for Chelsea against Hull City and it paid off immediately.
The Blues thrashed the Tigers 4-0 away from home to book their spot in the FA Cup fifth round. It was the expected outcome as Liam Rosenior sent a strong squad while Sergej Jakirovic rested many of his usual starters.
With Hull sitting fourth in the Championship table and looking to make a play-off run, it made sense to not go all in against Chelsea in a cup tie. So the Blues capitalised and advanced with ease – but there was a twist.
Does Pedro Neto in the number 10 spot make sense for Chelsea?
Neto on the right > Neto on the left
Pedro Neto has played 38 games for Chelsea this season across all competitions. 23 have been on the right-hand side, 13 on the left and a further two down the middle. Against Barcelona when he drifted out wide but led the attacking line and last Friday vs Hull City in the number 10 spot.
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As a winger/wide midfielder, he has produced more on the right (5 goals, 3 assists) than on the left (2 goals, 1 assist). His per 90 averages also favour the right wing. Considering just the Premier League, the difference is even bigger.
Neto is a mobile and ‘chaotic’ winger, so hugging the touchline down the left limits his game to taking defenders on and crossing the ball. On the right, he has more options to choose from and seems to thrive there.
It could be why Liam Rosenior took a chance on him as the number 10, considering that his game requires more freedom to work better. It makes sense to have him cut inside and work in more central zones. Though Rosenior went to extreme lengths to really place him in the middle of the park rather than occupying half-spaces and whatnot.
Mobility and speed down the middle + both ends
Neto brings a lot of mobility and speed when roaming between the lines. It’s a different trait than all the other players who have played in this position for Chelsea this season (Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez, mostly).
His tendency to look for the ball and sometimes ‘break’ Rosenior’s positional tendencies can actually be benefitial for the Blues. He often engaged a number of different Hull players during a single run.
Attracting their attention and forcing as much as one small step forward from them could be the difference in opening up space elsewhere for a teammate to run into. Or even give himself advantage to turn on them and run towards goal.
In addition to that, two of his three goals last Friday came in outside/edge of the box finishes following quick pass-and-move, touch-and-go sequences. Working in tight spaces doesn’t seem to bother him too much and he could develop this skill even more going forward.
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There could also be benefits out-of-possession. Speed and mobility are also helpful in counter-press and tracking back. He almost won the ball after rushing back to stop a dangerous Hull counter-attack, but ended up fouling the opponent.
With Rosenior’s preferred emphasis to play down the middle that goes back to his Strasbourg days, having a fast and willful player rushing to press or track back could help solidify their midfield and win possession back more quickly.
Optionality in tight games
Speaking of Rosenior’s taste for the central corridor, he had Sebastian Nanasi and Julio Enciso looking to receive and turn down the middle between the lines. While both of them are more natural centre-oriented players (attacking midfielder and second striker), Pedro Neto is an out-and-out winger.
Considering that teams mark Chelsea much more differently and cautiously than French sides defend against Strasbourg, having this alternative is actually a bonus.
The Blues constantly face a lot of low blocks that try to take away the middle and force them out wide. In case defences close down the central zones, a double-winger look could benefit Chelsea. Whether it’s with Neto drifting to either wing while the actual winger overlaps or himself as well.
Starting from the centre, he could drag out defensive midfielders in man-oriented defensive systems. That would be enough to mess the opposition defence and create openings for Joao Pedro or Liam Delap.
In fact, there is a tendency to maybe work better with the Brazilian. Neto had Delap in front of him against Hull be he doesn’t flash his creativity through line-breaking passes like a natural number 10.
With Joao Pedro dropping deep as he likes to do, he could be the one to thread the needle while Neto attacks the last line trying to break through on goal.
The dynamics with Enzo Fernandez would also be interesting, considering he often plays a more advanced role. Of course, for that, Moises Caicedo would be the best pairing next to the Argentine.
It’s always important to have in mind that he had a great performance but against a second-tier side resting many of their starters. But the logics behind Rosenior using Pedro Neto in a central role actually make a lot of sense. It would be interesting to see the results facing better opposition.