West Ham were expected to improve in the Chelsea match after an underwhelming display in the 1-1 draw with Fulham. A few changes were expected, such as Danny Ings at center forward and Jean-Clair Todibo partnering Max Kilman at center back. However, manager Julen Lopetegui massively changed the formation and started Edson Alvarez alongside Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos in a three-center-back tactical setup.
Danny Murphy analyses West Ham's tactical changes in the 3-0 defeat
Moreover, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson played a more advanced role on both sides of the midfield, and Summerville replaced Michail Antonio. However, these changes didn't help the Hammers get more defensive solidity, and Chelsea created a lot of empty spaces inside the final third, with Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos struggling to match Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer’s pace throughout the match. This was the turning point of the match, as the Blues scored twice inside the first half and went on to complete a massive 3-0 win over West Ham.
After the match, Premier League analyst Danny Murphy highlighted the change in the defensive formation, saying,
"“Lopetegui has to take some responsibility for this because he didn’t just change the system; it was the man-to-man marking of Nicolas Jackson.Danny Murphy
Really strange. We don’t see it very often. You certainly don’t see it with a midfielder, Alvarez. He has many qualities, but pace isn’t one of them.”"
Without a doubt, man-to-man marking Jackson, who possesses brilliant pace, should have been done with Todibo, who has a great recovery pace and is good at making important tackles as well. On the other hand, Alvarez is often slow while defending despite being a good defensive midfielder. Moreover, Mavropanos didn't have a great game as well and left several empty spaces on the right side whenever Wan-Bissaka advanced forward inside the Chelsea half.
Hence, West Ham should return to their two-center-back formation and should bring Todibo and Carlos Soler into the starting lineup from the next match.