Chelsea vs Malmo: Maurizio Sarri hopeful Europa League win can spark revival with ‘time’ still against him

A turbulent start to the week has meant Maurizio Sarri is fast running out of time. More humiliation at the hands of Manchester City could come in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday and with it the likely dismissal of the Italian.

Manchester United snatched their opportunities in ruthless fashion before blunting the Blues’ attack and lack of imagination to triumph 2-0 in the FA Cup. City barely needed to address the predictable nature of Chelsea’s build-up play, instead running riot at every opportunity, exposing an alarming gulf between the last two Premier League champions.

Sarri was of course handicapped from the start at Chelsea as they haggled with Napoli over a fee before sacking Antonio Conte, but only after he had unpacked his belongings at Cobham and started pre-season. That truncated pre-season arguably did more damage to Sarri than any other manager Chelsea could possibly have hired, starving him of valuable training days to hone his philosophy.

Time, or a lack there of, has become the essence of his rapid demise at Chelsea. So less than three days before Sarri desperately attempts to exercise the demons from the thrashing at the Etihad, there is the inconvenient second leg of their round of 32 clash with Malmo to negotiate.

The Europa League has somewhat become a curse, having the opposite effect to Conte’s first season, which had no European football at all.

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“As you know it’s not easy as we have no time,” Sarri conceded. “We are trying to solve our problems.

“It’s not easy because we have to play every three days so we have no time on the pitch.”

Compromise is a theme that has run through the Blues’ last two titles: Jose Mourinho sprinkled in some slick, aggressive, attack-minded football before grinding out results when it mattered most in 2015. While Conte miraculously shelved his hopes to implement a 4-4-2 after being humbled by Arsenal, though it gifted him time to deliver a crash course for his 3-5-2 system to spark a 13-game win streak and the title once again.

Some of Sarri’s detractors bemoan his refusal to provide adequate minutes to the next generation, with the Callum Hudson-Odoi saga leaving a cloud over the squad in recent weeks. Malmo would usually be an opportunity to satisfy those craving game time, particularly at home with a 2-1 aggregate lead.

But the approach for Thursday’s clash at Stamford Bridge is not obvious; does Sarri field a strong side to likely address the diminished confidence in his side, thus sacrificing energy levels for Wembley on Sunday.

Gonzalo Higuain, the striker Sarri craved all along, cut a frustrated figure on Monday in just his fifth appearance. Sarri managed to pull off perhaps his brightest moment in his short stint last December in a 2-0 victory over City. Eden Hazard occupied the focal point of his attack then, though Sarri’s faith in Higuain is unlikely to waiver, neither is his devotion to the 4-3-3.

“The system is a false problem,” Sarri claimed. “I know very well that when we lose I have to put a striker on the pitch.

“When we win I have to put a defender on the pitch. But I want to see football in another way.”

There was clear unrest in the crowd on Monday, who loudly chanted “f**k Sarri-ball,” suggesting there is no way back.

“It’s very easy,” Sarri replied when asked how he can turn it around. “We need to win three or four matches in a row.

“Of course, in this moment, it’s very difficult... But, in football, everything can change in one day.”

Sarri is right, but at a club like Chelsea who seldom give their managers time, it very rarely does.