Chelsea’s Free Cesc Fabregas Campaign paid off against United

How freeing Cesc Fabregas inspired Chelsea to a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Okay, so Chelsea didn’t really have a free Cesc Fabregas campaign. The midfielder wasn’t even in prison.

Indulge the theme for a moment, though. Setting Fabregas free was the catalyst for Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The win not only kept last season’s champions in the Premier League title race (just about). It also exposed United’s lack of creativity and guile.

United couldn’t pose a credible threat at the Bridge because they didn’t have an artisan as gifted as Fabregas to run the game.

Among those impressed by Fabregas’ display was Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday:

Those phrases from Holt, “vitality, purpose and skill” were all embodied completely by a Fabregas breathing free air.

Fabregas made the most of the freedom he was allowed by Antonio Conte’s tactical tweaks. The Blues manager reshuffled his 3-4-2-1 formation to get Fabregas in space more often. What he did was add another presence to the middle of the park.

The presence in question was Tiemoue Bakayoko. When the powerhouse signed from Monaco was chosen to partner the returning N’Golo Kante, Chelsea seemed set to adopt a rearguard action and drag United into a dour struggle.

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Instead, Chelsea used Bakayoko to destroy United’s man-marking tactics. By doing so, Bakayoko took attention away from the Blues’ creative types, opening spaces for Fabregas to make his own.

Bakayoko’s runs forward and beyond striker Alvaro Morata pulled United’s deep-lying midfield barrier and back three apart. There was always room for Bakayoko because United tried to man-mark Hazard, first with center-back Eric Bailly, then with Ander Herrera in the second half.

But Hazard was in his stride and usually wriggled free from the attention. United eventually reacted to Bakayoko’s breaks forward and Hazard’s movement, but still left Fabregas roaming free.

Paying so much attention to Hazard, a staple tactic for the Red Devils in games against Chelsea last season, along with reacting to Bakayoko, gave Fabregas the run of the pitch.

It helped Conte had granted the former Arsenal playmaker a free role to begin with. He slotted in alongside Kante, dovetailed with Hazard in the final third and also worked the flanks to double up with wing-backs Marcos Alonso and Davide Zappacosta.

The Guardian‘s Barney Ronay noted how Fabregas was allowed to roam everywhere because of the security Kante provided behind him:

"Above all Kanté’s presence freed up Cesc Fàbregas to provide a moment of calm in the middle of the fury around him, playing at times like the only grown-up on the pitch, with the craft and patience to find a little space, to pick a pass, to try to change the rhythm of this the game rather than simply hurling himself into it headfirst."

Kante helped, but Chelsea’s shape naturally supported Fabregas’ wanderlust. Bakayoko broke forward when the Blues had the ball, but dropped deep alongside Kante when the hosts were without it.

Hazard joined goalscorer Morata as a second striker to press high when United were in position. But the No. 10 dropped off to draw a crowd between the midfield and forward lines and let Fabregas have his space once Chelsea got back on the ball.

Fabregas didn’t waste his space or his freedom. He used them both to torment United with slick, quick and creative passing.

Every time Fabregas used the ball he accelerated Chelsea’s passing combinations in the final third. This was reminiscent of the nifty, intuitive and dynamic stuff the Blues produced for fun en route to last season’s title, and Fabregas was the beating heart for it.

In the end, the numbers spoke loudest about how Fabregas had stamped his influence all over the match, per Sky Sports Statto:

Fabregas hadn’t played this well against United since his Arsenal days when he conducted the orchestra during a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2006.

Chelsea were under heavy pressure after falling off the pace in the title chase, but Conte found a solution. He did it by setting free the player who is still one of the best in the league at providing solutions.