While managing Italian club Sansovino FC in his early coaching days, Maurizio Sarri was given the nickname of  “Mister 33” by his players, after crafting an incredible 33 set piece plays for his side.

A notorious hard worker with an unusual background, Sarri has tediously climbed his way up to the pinnacle of world football, the Premier League. After the rightful sacking of Antonio Conte, Chelsea hired Maurizio Sarri from SC Napoli as their new boss.

So what does Sarri bring to Chelsea?

Well, actually, a lot.

Historically a defensive side, Chelsea have yet to catch up with the rest of European football. Gone is the age of the old school, hard-nosed teams who could run over the opposition for a win. Teams simply cannot rely on their physical attributes and defensive superiority to win games. Coaches like Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, and Jurgen Klopp, have come in and changed the game.

Therefore, considered one of the best attacking managers in the world, Sarri was brought to Chelsea to implement his own brand of football, called “Sarrismo”. Sarri almost always opts for to play a 4-3-3 formation, with very rigid and specific instructions.

Goalkeeper:

The GK in this system must be good with his feet, as this system heavily relies on playing the ball out from the back. So, instead of a defender or goalkeeper just hoofing the ball up the field, they must stay calm and find the right pass, however risky it may be. New goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is tailor-made for this system.

Center Backs:

Now onto the center backs. These spots will most likely be taken by David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, with Andreas Christensen also fighting for a spot. But don’t forget about 17-year old Ethan Ampadu, one of the world’s best youth prospects. All of these players I’ve mentioned are able to play out from the back, which is a key component of “Sarrismo”. Especially Luiz, who has the ability to almost zip the ball into midfield. Though he can be shaky defensively, his ability to singlehandedly start an attack can’t be overlooked. Christensen shouldn’t be forgotten though, as he was fantastic last season, up until a few costly errors in the Champions League tie vs Barca. I don’t see him starting over Rudiger and Luiz just yet, but the future is still bright for him. Oh, and I’m sorry Gary Cahill, but your days are over.

Fullbacks:

Somewhat expectedly, the fullbacks in Sarri’s system are pretty basic. The LB is usually given some freedom to join the attack, while the RB is asked to tuck in as a 3rd CB when the rest of team is attacking. This is ideal for Cesar Azpilicueta, who flourished as an RCB under Antonio Conte. The LB spot will be occupied by Marcos Alonso, who has a knack of popping up with important goals. What he lacks in pace, he makes up with in good positioning and surprisingly good finishing ability.

Midfielders:

Here’s where it starts to get fun. New signing Jorginho will be the deepest of the 3 midfielders and will act as the regista, who dictates the tempo of the game. Think of Jorginho as a typical deep-lying playmake), spraying passes all over the pitch. On his left, N’golo Kante will be the “engine”, and will be constantly running up and down the pitch. Personally, I’m excited to see Kante playing further forward, as he’s better on the ball than most people think. Another new signing, Mateo Kovacic, will play on the right. His primary job will be to receive the ball and link up play with the attackers. However, his dribbling ability is probably his best skill, and it allows Chelsea to move up the pitch rather quickly.  Also, it will take relieve some the creative burden off of Eden Hazard, who won’t have to drop deep to create as often anymore.

Attackers:

Finally, the attack. Willian and Pedro will fight for playing time on the RW. They both offer different skillsets, but I believe Pedro will prove superior. He has the work rate and pressing ability to emulate Callejon’s role at Napoli. Obviously, the LW will be occupied by superstar Eden Hazard, who is given an almost free role. The best of Hazard is surely to come, as he’s never really had an attacking manager at Chelsea. But, you’ll definitely see less of Hazard dropping deep to create this year, as he’s done in the past. With a competent attacking system, Hazard can focus on staying further up the pitch which will surely help his goal-scoring record. The CF position will most likely be played by Alvaro Morata. He was missing his shooting boots last season, but I have no doubt that he’ll bounce back.

Here’s how Chelsea may look in games this season:

It’s been a long time since Chelsea fans have seen good football, but their wait has come to an end. The culmination of years of preparation and hard work will come to life under Maurizio Sarri, as Chelsea are finally ready to start their attacking-revolution.