It already feels like a lifetime ago since Jose Mourinho was in charge at Chelsea, yet 10 of the current squad played under the Portuguese in his ill-fated second spell. He left behind a group of players who had grown weary of their manager’s innate pragmatism and preference for caution over creativity, but are now playing sparkling, entertaining football under Maurizio Sarri.

The three years since Mourinho left have rather summed up the volatile nature of Roman Abramovich’s reign. Ship steadier Guus Hiddink was, after an extensive search, replaced by Antonio Conte, a serial winner from his time in Italy. He romped to the Premier League title in his first season, but performances and results fell away considerably in a difficult second year.

Abramovich has always wanted entertaining football – Sarri is finally delivering it (Picture: Getty)

As with Mourinho before him, Conte’s style presented a trade-off between substance and style; results and performances. The Italian required his players to suffer, on the pitch and in training, while his tactical setups became increasingly negative – peaking against Manchester City, when they had just 29% of the ball. Had he not been sacked, a number of the squad have admitted they would have looked to leave.



So Chelsea, as they often have done, pulled the trigger and – in another recurring theme – decided to go from one extreme to another when looking for a replacement. Conte’s pragmatic, direct approach was ditched in favour of a manager whose slick, free-flowing football is so unique it even has its own nickname: Sarri-ball, or Sarrismo back in his homeland.


Long balls per game | Selected Premier League teams 2018/19 1st = Burnley 80 9th = Manchester United 64 19th = Chelsea 48 20th = Manchester City 45 Share

Despite being deprived of a full pre-season due to a long and protracted pay-off dispute with Napoli, and with most of his squad at the World Cup, Sarri has nevertheless immediately imprinted his philosophy and ideas on Chelsea’s squad.

That has undoubtedly been helped by the £50m signing of Jorginho, the most important deal any club made over the summer, who was the heartbeat of Sarri’s team for three years in Naples. There is an interesting parallel between Sarri bringing his cerebral pass master to west London, and Mourinho signing his own lieutenant, Nemanja Matic, for Manchester United. Both players are in the image of their manager, one a creator and the other a destroyer, and sum up their respective approaches.

The signings of Jorginho and Matic sum up Sarri and Mourinho’s differing styles (Picture: Getty)

Jorginho has quickly asserted himself as the most prolific passer in the Premier League, averaging 106 per game. But this isn’t passing for passing’s sake. Sarri describes his style as ‘ball possession at a very high speed’, and Jorginho is the quick-thinking, fast-passing glue holding everything together. The greatest testament to Sarri’s work is how close they are to replicating Manchester City’s dominance already. Second most possession, second best goal difference, and second in the table.

Chelsea play far higher now, with the entire outfield in the opposition’s half for large spells, and they press relentlessly when they lose the ball. Every player has been unshackled, and it was rather fitting that N’Golo Kante scored the first goal of Sarri’s reign, given that he is now playing a more dynamic, attacking role rather than just being used as a pure defensive midfielder under Conte.

Mourinho was more concerned with getting Hazard to track back than score goals (Picture: Getty)

Eden Hazard, likewise, embodies the differing approaches taken by Sarri and both Conte and Mourinho. Hazard was often used as a false nine by the Italian, reduced to a mere counter-attacking threat, while Mourinho regularly slated his winger’s lack of work rate and defensive awareness. They were concerned by the qualities Hazard lacked, rather than trying to make the most of the talents he possesses. Sarri has challenged him to be more ruthless and decisive, and in turn given him the freedom to help meet those demands.



His goal against Liverpool summed up the shift in mindset, both from Hazard and the team as a whole. A revitalised David Luiz ignored Liverpool’s press and fizzed a pass into Hazard, who laid it off before spinning in behind. Matteo Kovacic and Jorginho played a cute one-two – the sort of triangle Chelsea’s players make countless times in a match now – before releasing Hazard, who finished expertly.

It is fast, precise, devastating football to go with the overwhelming control Chelsea are already exerting. It is the most enjoyable football the Blues have played in a long time, and when it really clicks – as against Liverpool – even rival fans can appreciate it, or rival managers as was the case with Jurgen Klopp.

Mourinho is enduring a difficult third season with Man Utd, seven points adrift of Chelsea (Getty)

It is also the polar opposite of the football played under Conte and Mourinho, finally delivering the thrills Abramovich has wanted for so long. He thought Luiz Felipe Scolari could bring a samba beat to Stamford Bridge, but their form evaporated. Carlo Ancelotti turned Chelsea into a fearsome attacking outfit, but they lacked balance and solidity. Sarri is combining exhilarating football with control, strangling opponents and depriving them of chances as well as creating a host of their own.

Saturday’s clash with United, then, sees Chelsea’s past and present go head-to-head. The fast and fun football of Sarri against the slow and reactive tactics of Mourinho. But, equally, the match pits one coach who has never won a trophy in his entire career against the manager who brought three Premier League titles to the Bridge. It promises to be a captivating contest, and if anyone can mastermind a way to stop the Blues’ scintillating side from purring again, it is arch-spoiler Mourinho – as everyone at Chelsea knows only too well.