Graham Potter has kept us all guessing on how Chelsea will line-up in every game since taking charge in September.
By a current count, Chelsea have used at least eight different formations in the 11 games of the Potter era so far. The flexibility that became a trademark at The Amex has not taken long to embed itself at Stamford Bridge, even covering the club is not enough to assume what the next game will bring.
Sunday afternoon's clash with Arsenal provides the sternest test so far for Potter based on the league table. The Gunners have won 10 of their opening 12 games and currently sit 10 points clear of the Blues in top spot.
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Chelsea could be accused of complacency in recent meetings against The Gunners given the superiority the Blues have previously enjoyed in this fixture at home, but there cannot be much room for that to creep in this time given the confidence Mikel Arteta's side is playing with.
Potter surprised onlookers with his approach to the Dinamo Zagreb game in midweek, not only in the shape Chelsea used but also in the strength of the personnel deployed. In what was effectively a dead rubber in the Champions League after qualification and top spot was secure, heavy rotation was naturally anticipated.
Although changes were made to the team that was heavily beaten at Brighton, the lineup included a majority of names who are likely to feature against Arsenal.
Edouard Mendy, Trevoh Chalobah, Kalidou Koulibaly, Jorginho, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz are all considered first-team players, or at least ones who have played a good chunk of minutes under Graham Potter so far.
With the debut of Denis Zakaria in central midfield, Potter used a 4-3-3 formation in the 2-1 win. It worked with Chelsea looking confident on the ball and creative in attack. The slim margin for victory did not tell the wider story of the hosts' dominance on the night or ability to inflict a heavier defeat.
Unlike Chelsea's unpredictability, Arsenal have become settled on their 4-3-3 setup under Arteta this campaign. There might be a temptation for Potter to stick with what worked against Zagreb, hoping to carry the momentum gained in that fixture into one that will demand a lot of Chelsea to gain a significant result.
But there remain some big questions should a 4-3-3 be used. Who plays at right-back and can César Azpilicueta cope with the speed and threat of Gabriel Martinelli? For all of the Spaniard's durability and experience, his lack of mobility had become a real concern over the past year and without Reece James, Potter does not have many other obvious options.
The other question pertains to central midfield where Chelsea were overwhelmed by Manchester United and Brighton. Potter rectified the issue against United by replacing Marc Cucurella with Mateo Kovacic and moving to the 4-3-3 he played on Wednesday. There might be a fear that Arsenal, who will look to impose themselves at Stamford Bridge, could do similar should Potter start with only two central midfielders.
Starting with three centre-backs is certainly a system the current squad are used to playing and can offer more protection against wide threats like Martinelli should Azpiliceuta start a right wingback, but the questions remain in other areas. A 3-5-2 is probably the best of both worlds should Potter opt for it, focusing on getting an extra body to combat Arsenal in central areas.
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