Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea: 3 Things we learned

Wrong formation at the wrong time

Coming into the game, most expected a back three. It’s what has worked best for Leicester so far. Not many were expecting a 3-4-3 though, a formation that proved costly.

The logic of a 3-4-3 is there, take the game and formation to Chelsea, set up how they set up and make them break you down. It poses a challenge, and you see a lot of sides go to a back three whenever they play Chelsea. That, unfortunately, is where the logic ends.

The 3-4-3 was a disaster. I cannot understate that enough. Keeping Barnes in the squad after his beauty against Leeds was an understandable call, but Barnes was invisible in this game, only running into defenders.

Lookman was the other winger on the right, but he didn’t do it today. He did score a goal, but it was quickly ruled for offside. Now, Ademola has been unlucky with the fact that he’s netted in a few offside goals this season, and Chalobah played the offside trap very well, but this is becoming a problem for the Leicester loanee. He needs to improve his awareness of where he is, the disallowed goals are racking up and becoming costly.

The real crime here is that the 3-4-3 meant that Kelechi Iheanacho was – for some reason – omitted from the starting XI. Iheanacho has had the most direct goal involvements of everyone in the squad, so why on earth leave him out? Without Iheanacho, Leicester just lacked the pressing needed to put pressure on the Chelsea back line. When he came on, he made a difference. He has to start.

So, if not 3-4-3, what should be the formation? For me, it has to be a 3-4-1-2. This allows both Vardy and Iheanacho to start together. It’s a combination we know works so well. This also adds a few more to the midfield whether that be Maddison or Barnes at CAM.