Chelsea lie: Cesc Fabregas’ resurgence is a myth

Chelsea are weaker with Cesc Fabregas on the pitch

There’s been a suspicious narrative emanating from Chelsea this week that Cesc Fabregas is enjoying some kind of renaissance at the club. It’s a complete lie. The truth is that Antonio Conte is only deploying Fabregas against weaker opponents. It’s only natural that he start to look better when deployed against inferior opposition.

In all fairness, several other outlets have already outlined a strong case regarding the fraudulent nature of the Fabregas fairy tale. In particular I’d point you to this piece by the good people at oulalala.com that outlines Chelsea’s defensive weakness with Fabregas on the pitch. Since 2014, the Blues have given up a full goal more per 90 minutes when the slow Spanish midfielder is involved in the match.

I believe the dishonest nature of the Fabregas myth goes even deeper though. It’s clear to me that Conte is only deploying him against weaker opposition. The Chelsea manager understands that Fabregas can help him against teams that will cede the lion’s share of possession to the Blues.

That’s why he can look so good at times. This weekend’s performance against Swansea provides us a great example. Fabregas was the man of the match against the Swans with a goal and an assist. If you only watched him play those 90 minutes, you might be inclined to think that Fabregas is a world-class midfielder.

While Swansea have had their moments this year, they aren’t equipped to really challenge the Chelsea machine. It’s a match where Conte could comfortably trot Fabregas out and expect him to control play with his skill on the ball. Swansea lack the elite athletes to really trouble Fabregas in the middle of the park.

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As you’ll notice, Conte has been much more hesitant to play Fabregas against top six opposition. In fact, the last opportunity he got to start a match against a real title contender was against Manchester City in December. Since then, he’s been relegated to very little playing time when Chelsea encounter stiff competition.

For the record, it’s a smart strategy for Conte. He is only playing Fabregas in matches where he can be successful. That’s exactly what a good manager should do.

By doing so, Conte also is steadily increasing Fabregas’ potential value in the summer transfer window. While Fabregas certainly wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, the Blues may be tempted to part with him if a suitable offer arrives. By only playing Fabregas against weak opponents, Conte is also driving up his price in the summer.

Next: Conte claims Pedro is as good as Hazard or Costa

The idea that Cesc Fabregas’ career is enjoying a second wind is a nice story, but it’s just that. He’s still the very skilled, but very slow midfielder we’ve come to expect over the past several seasons. Thinking he’s anything else this year is simply untrue.