Chelsea were in big trouble against Arsenal with half an hour gone.
The Gunners were dominating the ball and possession, and Frank Lampard’s 343 shape wasn’t working at all. It was clear a change was needed, and there was no time to waste.
Even half time seemed a long way off, so the manager made his move after 34 minutes, taking off left back Emerson for midfielder Jorginho. The Blues moved Cesar Azpilicueta to left back from right back, moved Fikayo Tomori to right back from centre back, and then slotted Jorginho into the middle, shifting from 343 to a far more effective 433.
This kind of instant in game change was only possible because of the versatility of Azpi and Tomori to play in different positions. With more limited players, Lampard would have been in big trouble when it came to shifting formation and getting the struggling Emerson off the pitch.
Instead, all it took was one change to shift the game in our favour – all thanks to the versatility and adaptability of Azpi and Tomori.
