Chelsea v Nottingham Forest: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | FA Cup 2018-19
A double from Alvaro Morata in the second half took Chelsea to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the 21st consecutive season as they beat a hapless Nottingham Forest at home by 2-0.
The Blues saw almost 70% of the ball and struggled to find the back of the net, as even Cesc Fabregas missed a penalty in the 30th minute. Chances continued to flow by Maurizio Sarri went into the tunnel at half-time scratching his head. He and Morata would have been two relieved men after the Spanish sharpshooter struck a fine brace.
Meanwhile Fabregas, by the look of it, bid farewell to the Chelsea fans after 501 appearances in the English game. He received warm applause from the beloved supporters, who chanted his name irrespective of the contrasting fortunes for him in this fixture.
Without further delay, let's take a look at the major talking points from Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Aitor Karanka's men.
#1 Interesting team sheet announced by Sarri
A total of nine changes were made by Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who only retained David Luiz and Alvaro Morata from the previous fixture against Southampton.
While he did field a few players tipped to start, their positioning in the 4-3-3 setup was very unique and astounding.
Unexpectedly, despite knowing that the next fixture is against fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final, the Italian decided to start David Luiz for another game. Alongside him was Andreas Christensen - another player who has been vying for game time all season.
Ethan Ampadu started as well, but down the right side of the three-man midfield, not at the heart of the back line. As envisioned, Cesc Fabregas captained the team and occupied the base of midfield, while Ross Barkley started at left.
Callum Hudson-Odoi raced to full fitness to fill the left flank, with the versatile Ruben Loftus-Cheek covering the right wing. Alvaro Morata led the line.
Sarri should probably have rested David Luiz, who started match after match in this strenuous festive footballing period.