Victor Moses at Chelsea: One last hurrah?

It feels like an eternity since Victor Moses was rampaging down the right flank under Antonio Conte in Chelsea’s 2016/17 title-winning campaign as well as the following season where the club won the FA Cup.

The passionate Italian manager brought the out-in-the-cold perennial loanee back into the fold and made him a protagonist in his Blues side that made history by becoming the first side in Premier League history to claim the league title playing a back three.

Indeed, Moses was a player reborn for those two seasons under Conte, at a time when the wideman played arguably the best football of his career, likewise Marcos Alonso, who thrived for those twin campaigns in his favoured role at left wing-back.

The departure of the former Juventus boss and arrival of Maurizio Sarri, who plays a completely different style to the current boss of Inter Milan, was predicted to signal the end of the ex-Nigeria international as a surefire starter. Those assumptions were immediately validated as Sarri changed the team's primary formation from a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 to his preferred 4-3-3.

Given Moses wouldn't necessarily thrive at right-back and was instantly fifth-choice winger in the side behind Eden Hazard, Willian, Pedro Rodriguez and arguably Callum Hudson-Odoi, a player who had played 62 times in the league (starting 54) was set to have his minutes slashed significantly.

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That prognosis turned out to be accurate, as the West African played twice in the first part of the season before departing for an initial 18-month spell with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

That loan deal was cut short for a reunion with Conte at Inter last season, although the wing-back didn’t quite enjoy the same success under the Italian as he did four years earlier as the Nerazzurri ultimately fell short in Serie A and the Europa League.

Back at Chelsea after his time away in Turkey and Italy, Moses is facing a similar situation as he did in 18/19 under Sarri. Even though Conte’s replacement departed after a year at Stamford Bridge, the presence of Frank Lampard, a former teammate of the Nigerian, isn’t expected to place the former Wigan Athletic attacker high in the pecking order at Cobham.

While the triumvirate of Hazard, Willian and Pedro have all departed for Real Madrid, Arsenal and AS Roma respectively, they all have been replaced in some capacity by the club. As it stands, the current options for Lampard in the wide roles include Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi.

The former is primarily a wide playmaker on the right while the USA star, while adept on both flanks, plays better on the left. The England international thrives in both positions and offers disparate solutions when he’s utilised in either position.

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Furthermore, Timo Werner offers another dimension to the Chelsea attack if he’s played as in inside forward to play off a target man like Olivier Giroud or out-and-out centre-forward in Tammy Abraham.

Also, the expected addition of hugely talented playmaker Kai Havertz provides additional solutions for Lampard in the attacking third.

Even though the precocious Germany playmaker is primarily an attacking midfielder behind the striker, he’s equally adept as a ‘free 8’ in a midfield three and was even played as a makeshift striker last season by Peter Bosz. Interestingly, Havertz was played on the right often by the Dutch manager more times than he was used as an interim striker or in midfield, which doesn’t bode well for Moses.

As it stands, three primary widemen are blocking the Nigerian’s path into the team while the pair of Werner and Havertz take the number of wide options for Lampard to five.

The Blues boss curiously tended to use Mason Mount out wide intermittently last term, although this was perceived to be as a result of a dearth of quality options to choose from or due to tactical requirements for certain games.

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While it would be a stretch to claim the 29-year-old winger is seventh in the pecking order at Cobham, it’s still hard to see how he gets into this Chelsea side that have a variety of options to play on the flanks. Indeed, the current situation in which he has five players (if Havertz eventually signs) ahead in the pecking order is worse than his position from 18 months ago.

Although an arduous schedule probably means smart rotation will be essential for teams like the Blues competing on four fronts, there are so many options ahead of Moses that it’s hard to see a pathway for the winger in the side.

However, a rare chance could open up at wing-back again. Given Lampard tended to utilise a 3-4-3 for specific games last season, Reece James counts as the only natural wing-back in the team, so the soon-to-turn 30 wideman may be retained as a secondary option for games where the tactical switch is introduced.

Without question, those two years under Conte were Moses’ finest in West London. Now in the final year of his contract, the Nigerian will hope to play a part for his former teammate who, like the Italian boss four years ago, is looking to close the gap on and probably even supplant the league’s dominant sides.