According to BBC Sport, Ashley Young believes Chelsea's attack is strong, but the midfield lacks depth, to the point where they need to deploy a right-back in midfield.

Defending champions Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1 at home on Sunday. In the match, Chelsea deployed Reece James and Malo Gusto, two players who began their careers as right-backs, in midfield. The question of why Chelsea found itself in this situation after spending £349 million in the summer transfer window has drawn external scrutiny.

When Arsenal scored the winning goal at the Emirates Stadium, it was Reece James who failed to mark Ødegaard. Previously, Xabi Alonso had stated that James had the potential to become one of the world's best midfielders. James performed well for the rest of the match, and last season spent nearly half his time playing in midfield.

However, after Gusto replaced Lavia in the second half, questions remained about the depth of Chelsea's midfield. Ødegaard's goal came from lax defending by Chelsea, and the lack of creativity from the substitutes proved costly, with Arteta's tactical changes ultimately helping Arsenal secure victory.

Ashley Young told BBC Sport: "Chelsea don't have European football this season, so they have fewer matches and can focus on the Premier League. But the problem is that you're playing against the defending champions and by the end of the match, you have two right-backs playing in midfield."

Ashley Young added: "Look at Lavia, he's had a lot of injuries last season. The attacking players will make the whole league sit up and take notice, but behind them, you see right-backs playing in midfield. Other teams will watch today's match and see that Chelsea will dig in and put men behind the ball, but there are still gaps in the middle, and Arsenal found it."

He also said: "Chelsea gave up a lot of possession and played counterattacking football. Today they probably only had one real chance, relying on João Félix's push on the right to snatch a counterattacking opportunity."

The absence of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Caicedo is the main problem Xabi Alonso must address. Caicedo came on as a substitute against Brighton last week, played just 11 minutes before suffering an injury, and is expected to be sidelined for some time, though the exact length of his absence remains unclear.

Apart from suspensions, Caicedo has missed only two matches in the last three seasons due to injury and illness. Xabi Alonso said of Caicedo: "It won't be too long, but the key is to assess the risk. We probably brought him back too soon last week, and I don't want to make the same mistake again."

It is unclear whether Chelsea had concerns about Caicedo's fitness when they pursued several midfielders on the final day of the transfer window. Monaco's last-minute block of Chelsea's £47 million offer for Lamine Camara left Chelsea's management very frustrated.

Earlier this summer, Chelsea had also offered up to £64 million for Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly, but it was rejected. After Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini blocked the deal, Chelsea also failed to sign French international Kouadio Koné.

Chelsea stated that the pursuit of Camara was due to a market opportunity and also said the club was satisfied with its summer operations and still trusted the existing squad. Although Chelsea sold Enzo Fernández for a record £125 million on the final day of the transfer window, the team failed to bring in a direct replacement.

With Caicedo sidelined, both he and James Henderson are on the injury list. Henderson is still recovering from a fractured arm, an injury sustained when he fell against an advertising board during the World Cup as an unused substitute.

Valentín Barco, a natural midfielder who joined from Strasbourg this summer, has been outshone by Gusto in all three of Chelsea's opening Premier League matches this season. In Chelsea's 4-3 victory against Brighton last weekend, Chelsea had Gusto playing in midfield with just 25.6% possession, the lowest since records began in the 2003-04 season.

If all of Chelsea's midfield options remain healthy and Caicedo's injury proves to be minor, then in a season without midweek European football, five midfielders should be sufficient to manage the fixture list. Xabi Alonso expressed similar views before the match.

Chelsea's first three matches have relied heavily on Morgan Rogers, an in-form Cole Palmer, and João Félix. The team conceded seven goals in three matches, and Xabi Alonso said: "We want to play more consistently."

Despite the defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea still had many positive aspects. The club's record signing, Rogers, scored in the second minute, becoming the first player since Eden Hazard in the 2018-19 season to be directly involved in a goal in each of Chelsea's first three Premier League matches of the season.

This was perhaps also Chelsea's best performance during their run of 10 consecutive matches without a win against Arsenal. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and still have a three-point gap to make up.

Xabi Alonso said after the match: "We came to win. We knew the gap wasn't so big, but the result went their way. It's painful and obviously disappointing. But this is just the first defeat, it will be a long road, and it won't have a big impact on our emotions and mentality."

Arsenal remains the benchmark Chelsea is chasing. Although Chelsea brought in 10 first-team players this summer, the team's failure to secure a midfielder on the final day of the transfer window could leave a potential weakness. Xabi Alonso described this summer as "phase one" earlier this week. If Caicedo's return still doesn't resolve the midfield problem, Chelsea could face questions: why didn't the club seek a replacement for Enzo Fernández sooner?

Tradotto dall'IA.

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