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Maurizio Sarri’s Sarri-ball system is beginning to take shape, and compared to last season’s pass completion rate of 84.3% under Antonio Conte, Sarri’s tactics are already paying dividends on that front. Our pass completion figure has increased to 88.8% – albeit in only two games – for 2018/19 so far, and just 0.4% behind Pep Guardiola’s side.
Sarri’s system encourages our defenders to start the attack by bringing the ball out from the back and stringing passes from the defence even when put under pressure.
Antonio Rudiger, Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso are the ones charged with implementing Sarri-ball from the back and in just two games the results are startling.
Manchester City defender John Stones is top of the passing statistics so far this season, making 177 in his two games. David Luiz is the second player to have attempted more passes in the league with 173 passes.
In fact, all four of Chelsea’s defenders are in the top 15 for passes so far this season, with Rudiger (148) 10th, Alonso (146) 11th and Azpilicueta (143) 13th.
Summer signing Jorginho, is 5th on the list and has completed 165 passes.