Chelsea's Tactical Adjustments Prove Crucial in West Ham Win

Jamie Carragher breaks down how Chelsea's lineup changes at halftime helped them overcome a slow start against West Ham.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 10:07am

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On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher analyzed Chelsea's 3-2 win over West Ham, highlighting how the Blues' starting lineup and tactics nearly cost them the match in the first half. Carragher pointed to Chelsea's inverted full-backs, Gusto and Hato, as a major issue, with the team struggling to build up play through the middle as they typically prefer. However, Carragher noted that Chelsea made crucial adjustments at halftime, both in terms of personnel and shape, which allowed them to turn the game around and score three second-half goals to secure the victory.

Why it matters

Chelsea's tactical approach and ability to adapt mid-game are important factors in their success this season. Carragher's analysis sheds light on how even top teams can struggle with certain lineup choices and formations, underscoring the importance of in-game management and flexibility for elite clubs.

The details

In the first half, Chelsea lined up in a 3-2-5 formation in possession, with the full-backs Gusto and Hato inverting to join the back three and midfield pivot respectively. This setup, which Carragher compared to tactics used by Maresca and Michael Carrick, proved problematic as Chelsea struggled to play through the middle as they typically prefer. The ball was frequently lost in that central area, leading to issues for the Blues in the opening stages.

  • 30 seconds into the game, Chelsea lost possession in the central area due to the inverted full-back setup.

The players

Jamie Carragher

A former professional footballer and current television pundit, who analyzed Chelsea's tactics on Monday Night Football.

Gusto

Chelsea's right-back, who was part of the inverted back three in the team's initial lineup.

Hato

Chelsea's left-back, who joined the midfield pivot in the team's initial lineup.

Caicedo

Chelsea's midfielder, who was part of the double pivot in the team's initial lineup.

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What they’re saying

“Chelsea are 3-2-5 in possession, so you see the back three, the midfield pivot, and a front five. Now, this is nothing different to what Maresca did, we've seen Michael Carrick do it for Manchester United. Lots of teams build up like this. But what's really interesting is the position of the full-backs in this setup.”

— Jamie Carragher, Television Pundit

“You've got Gusto at right-back, who's part of the back three in the build up, and you've got your left-back, Hato, who comes and joins Caicedo as one of the double pivots.”

— Jamie Carragher, Television Pundit

“As we've highlighted with Liam Rosenior's Chelsea, they always want to go through the middle. The ball comes central to Caicedo, they lose it there. This is 30 seconds into the game. Something that we saw a lot against Brentford, this happened all through the first half against West Ham.”

— Jamie Carragher, Television Pundit

What’s next

Chelsea will look to build on their comeback win against West Ham when they face Manchester United in their next Premier League match on February 10th.

The takeaway

Chelsea's ability to adapt their tactics mid-game proved crucial in their victory over West Ham, highlighting the importance of in-game management and flexibility for elite clubs. Carragher's analysis underscores how even top teams can struggle with certain lineup choices and formations, and the need for coaches to be willing to make adjustments when necessary.