Maurizio Sarri has revealed the area Chelsea still need to improve despite their perfect start to the new Premier League season.
Beating Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Bournemouth, Chelsea have taken 12 points from their first four games to emerge as the early pacesetters alongside Liverpool and Watford.
Sarri's side were frustrated by Bournemouth for 70 minutes at Stamford Bridge on Saturday but finally found the breakthrough as Pedro combined well with Olivier Giroud before slotting past Asmir Begovic.
Eden Hazard put the game to bed in the 85th-minute with a superb finish from a tight angle.
Despite the victory and Chelsea's impressive start to the new campaign, Sarri says his team need to improve their positioning, with the Blues at times at risk of being exposed on the counter-attack.
'I think we need to be careful with the positioning of the players behind the line of the ball when we are in the offensive phase,' he said.
'Sometimes on Saturday we had the right full-back at the cross and other one in the box, so it is a little bit dangerous.
'David Luiz and Rudiger were in the right position when the opposition attacked the spaces [in counter-attack], not always the full-backs, not always the midfielders, centre-left and centre-right.
'We can improve on this. If we are able to improve the positioning behind the line of the ball, we can have in this kind of match more continuity, without counter-attacks of the opponent.
'Maybe with more continuity, we could score earlier.'
Under former manager Antonio Conte, Chelsea finished 30 points adrift of champions Manchester City last season.
And despite the fine start to the 2018-19 season, Sarri says it will be 'very difficult' to make up the difference this term.
'I'm very happy with 12 points in four matches. But I always think we can do more. We can improve,' the former Napoli boss said.
'I think now for us it's better to think of the next match. Because the gap at the beginning was 30 points. I think it's very difficult to cover this gap in only one season.'
Following the first international break of the season, Chelsea continue their Premier League campaign with a home match against Cardiff City on September 15.
Comments