Harrowing Statistic Highlights Ineffectiveness of 'Sarri-Ball' Following Chelsea's FA Cup Exit

18 February 2019 22:40

Following Chelsea's 6-0 demolition at the hands of Manchester City last week, there was 

a huge onus on Maurizio Sarri to repair some of the damage by reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. 


The Blues fired yet another blank against Manchester United on Monday night as they were dumped out of the competition 0-2, lacking any cutting edge despite dominating possession for much of the second half. It has become evident in recent weeks that Chelsea's problems do not only lie in defence, despite conceding six against City and four against Bournemouth.


Chelsea have netted fewer times than anyone in the top six of the Premier League this season, despite 'Sarri-Ball' promising attacking football and an abundance of goals - as his ​Napoli side showed last season as they pushed ​Juventus all the way in ​Serie A. 

It is obvious the transition from Italy to England hasn't been smooth for Sarri, with a statistic, courtesy of ​Opta, affirming this following ​Chelsea's FA Cup exit:


Chelsea only attempted two shots on target in this match, with both coming in the 11th minute of the tie. 


It is a staggering statistic that Chelsea, a side containing the likes of ​Eden Hazard​Gonzalo Higuain and ​Willian, failed to muster a shot on target for the final 79 minutes of the tie. It is even more remarkable that Sarri's side enjoyed nearly 67% possession during the match - perhaps the clearest evidence yet that Sarri-Ball is faltering. 


Some credit, of course, must go to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose ​Man Utd side defended admirably and executed their game plan to perfection. However, Sarri's biggest worry must be that every side can seemingly execute the perfect game plan against Chelsea. 

FBL-ENG-FACUP-CHELSEA-MAN UTD

With every passing week, Sarri's stubbornness to change his infamous philosophy allows the opposition to adjust tactically to nullify Sarri-Ball. With the Italian refusing to experiment away from his principles, the Stamford Bridge faithful appear to finally be losing all patience. 


There was the first real sign of discontent from Blues fans towards the manager as they chanted their displeasure at his tactics, with the Opta statistic perhaps suggesting they are right to do so. Chelsea fans expect, and deserve a much better effort from their side. 

Source: 90min