Alejandro Garnacho picked up two assists against Wolverhampton Wanderers and seems to be getting more and more acclimated to new life at Chelsea.
The Argentine winger now has four goal involvements for the Blues, with all of them coming in his last four games across all competitions.
In addition to providing two assists vs Wolves, he scored against Qarabag in the Champions League and Sunderland in the Premier League. Prior to that, the 21-year-old had gone blank in this department in each of his previous six matches for the Blues.
What does Alejandro Garnacho’s recent run of form mean for Chelsea?
Making the left wing his own
Garnacho arrived as a Premier League-proven option to bolster the Chelsea squad following a £40m move from Manchester United.
He joined Jamie Gittens and Estevao in a ‘wing revolution’ at Stamford Bridge, while Noni Madueke went to Arsenal and Raheem Sterling was out of Enzo Maresca’s plans.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
And the Argentine already seems to be ahead of every other left-wing option, having started six of the Blues’ last nine games overall. And the matches in which he came off the bench or didn’t feature were all with mixed or fully alternate sides (Qarabag and Ajax in the Champions League, Wolves in the Carabao Cup).
Pedro Neto plays better from the right-hand side and fans don’t seem to be fully convinced with him starting all the time. Jamie Gittens still hasn’t justified the hefty transfer fee Chelsea paid Borussia Dortmund to get him.
Great fit for Enzo Maresca’s system
Not only has Garnacho been playing well in a vacuum, but is also a perfect fit for Maresca’s Chelsea set-up.
Even as a right-footed left winger, he thrives staying – or at least starting his movements – out wide. There, he can take defenders on and attack the box from the outside. He still lacks the finishing touch and ‘cerebral’ playmaking to affect the game in central corridors, though.
The most important part is how this allows him to hug the touchline and get inswinging crosses into the box, which Chelsea love to do. In fact, both Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto feature in the top-six for open play crosses attempted per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season (300+ minutes played).
Chelsea closer to their best and most balanced lineup?
Garnacho probably won’t maintain his goal involvement-per-game-ratio at 1:1 for the rest of the season. Still, he can be impactful without scoring and assisting.
If he keeps performing in a similar level to this recent stretch, Chelsea will get closer and closer to what could be their best set-up. Add Cole Palmer returning, Joao Pedro taking a step forward to lead the attacking and maybe Estevao getting more opportunities on the right, with both Brazilians being able to link up with the No.10, and things could get interesting at Stamford Bridge.
The two wingers in this system would even match well with their respective full-back partners. Reece James can be a wonderful centre-midfielder but also has good speed and perfect deliveries to overlap while Estevao cuts inside. It’s worth reminding Enzo Maresca sees the 18-year-old evolving into an attacking-midfielder in the future.
On the left, Garnacho thrives staying out wide and Marc Cucurella has developed into a more deeper-sitting inverted full-back under the Italian manager. They have complementary profiles and allow Chelsea to maintain their structure – a non-negotiable for Maresca.
The Blues haven’t always been exciting but have been more consistent lately, grinding out wins despite rather dull performances. And sometimes they switch gears and turn into a fun, hard to stop team – despite dealing with their fair share of injuries.
Though it is repetitive to say that a lot can change when Cole Palmer comes back, now it feels like there’s more to be excited about than just the No.10’s return. Garnacho and Estevao represent a big part of that.