Chelsea: David Luiz starting against Liverpool could be blessing in disguise
David Luiz is set to make his first start for Chelsea since rejoining the club against Liverpool. John Terry’s injury opens the door for Luiz and it could be a blessing in disguise for the Blues.
David Luiz has made headlines off the field since he re-joined Chelsea in the transfer window. Now it’s time for the Brazilian to make them on the field. Luiz is looking to make his first start since re-joining the club against Liverpool on Friday.
John Terry has been ruled out for 10 days with a foot injury. Which now opens the door for the flamboyant Luiz to enter the fray. The idea of David Luiz playing against a Liverpool attack which is firing on all cylinders right now is being viewed as making Chelsea weak and vulnerable. But that’s not necessarily the case.
Terry is a more stable, reliable defender than Luiz is. Against Liverpool’s vibrant attack, it’s easy to see why you would want your best defenders in the team. But Chelsea are at home. They have to figure out a way to get up the field and attack their opponents.
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Liverpool are going to press high and aggressively and look to force turnovers in Chelsea’s half of the pitch. Antonio Conte’s team need to get around that somehow. The only way Chelsea are going to be able to do that is to either pass around the press or go over the top of it. Luiz is an ideal centre-back for either.
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Yes, he’s a liability. Absolutely, he makes mistakes. He could cost Chelsea this game. But all of that applies to every game when it comes to Luiz. No matter what. Chelsea have to find away to maintain possession in this game and build attacks. Luiz is going to help the team do that.
He might not be Chelsea’s best defender, but he’s their best passing defender and that’s a needed trait against Liverpool. Luiz will have no issue passing out from the back, under pressure, into midfield. If the Brazilian can do that often enough, then Chelsea can then expose Liverpool’s weaknesses in defense.
Long balls could also be an option, with Diego Costa perfect for that style of play. Costa will fight – quite literally sometimes – for every ball, hold up possession, win fouls high up the pitch and even run the channels. All you need to do is get good quality passes up there to him and let the striker get at the fragile Liverpool back four.
In this situation, Luiz is Chelsea’s best option for an out-ball that they have. Luiz will find either Costa or a midfielder with a pass a lot more often than Terry or Gary Cahill will. Just lumping the ball up the field is no good, it’ll only come straight back.
Chelsea need to play their way out in this game with precise passing and Luiz is perfect for it. Things might go wrong because that’s what happens with David Luiz. Things always go wrong at some point. But they also go oh so right on occasions and this could be one of them.
Luiz has his flaws, but he also has his strengths, too. And based on his strengths, Luiz starting in the game against Liverpool could well turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Blues.
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