Since breaking into the Chelsea first team, Callum Hudson-Odoi has never started in excess of 10 league matches in a season. Seven of his 10 starts last term came after Thomas Tuchel took over the Stamford Bridge reins, yet with the German implementing a three-man backline and narrow attackers in support of the forward, some felt there wasn't a long-term place in the squad for Hudson-Odoi.
The England international had been heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the past, and when Tuchel took charge and it became apparant that Chelsea would use a system that didn't require wingers, that Hudson-Odoi may be sold. However, the summer window came and went and the 21-year-old remained at Stamford Bridge, but still, few could see how he would fit in under Tuchel.
Reece James has nailed down the right wing-back spot, and it took until his suspension against Aston Villa for Hudson-Odoi to make his first Premier League start of 2021/22. Injuries to teammates in October, though, presented Hudson-Odoi with the opportunity to nail down a first team spot. Indeed, he has started five of Chelsea's last six league games, the exception being the 1-0 win at Brentford last month.
Crucially, is that four of those five starts in that run have come in one of the two attacking roles in support of the striker. When considering the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech have started frequently in the role, it suggests a particular type of midfielder is required to operate in the position. While the trio do show a tendency to pull wide in search of space, none are a winger in the mould of Hudson-Odoi, so to have developed his game to excel in a central area is a testament to both Tuchel's coaching qualities and the player's willingness to learn.
On the back of his impressive breakthrough under Maurizio Sarri in 2019, there was a sense as time wore on that Hudson-Odoi would fail to push on. Granted a serious Achilles injury that year, and then a hamstring issue in early 2020, didn't help the youngster as he sought to gain a consistent run in the team, yet under Tuchel this year, Hudson-Odoi is making the most of his chance to consolidate a regular spot in the side.
Since coming into the side more frequently at the beginning of October, only Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Reece James (both 9) have completed more dribbles than Hudson-Odoi (8) of all Chelsea players. Meanwhile, only James (12) has created more goalscoring chances than his compatriot (11). The latter, of course, won't come as a surprise to Chelsea fans. Of those to have registered at least 2000 Premier League minutes of action since the start of the 2019/20 season, only Kevin De Bruyne (every 94 minutes) and Riyad Mahrez (every 144 minutes) are creating a clear-cut goalscoring chance more frequently than Hudson Odoi (every 184 minutes).
🤯 Callum Hudson-Odoi is creating a big chance as frequently as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bruno Fernandes over the last three Premier League campaigns
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 27, 2021
😏 He's finally cracked the Chelsea first-team and is delivering with incredibly consistency for Thomas Tuchel. Our take 👇
Yet the return to the first team duties under Tuchel marks an impressive turnaround in fortunes for Hudson-Odoi, who was linked with moves to Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund as the transfer deadline loomed. A lack of regular action once the window closed suggested that Hudson-Odoi would be set for another frustrating six months on the sidelines, yet he has adapted his game accordingly to operate impressively both out wide if needed, but also in more central areas to hand Tuchel an additional attacking option in his favoured setup.
What's more, in playing Hudson-Odoi in one of the two supporting roles behind the frontman, Tuchel is afforded additional tactical flexibility due to the attacker's ability to play on the frontline. This means that, should needs must, Tuchel can move away from the tried and trusted 3-4-2-1 setup to a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-5-2 if needed, which would see Hudson-Odoi move to the frontline alongside one of Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner or Kai Havertz if needed, which is a boost for the title contenders.
As we approach the hectic festive period, teams are aware they need to maximise the full strength in depth of their squad and Tuchel has a hugely talented pool of players to call upon. However, without game time, it would be difficult to gain consistency, which in turn could hinder Chelsea's pursuit of glory. Since coming into the side, though, Hudson-Odoi has been superb, noted in that a WhoScored rating of 7.17 is the sixth best of Chelsea players to have made more than three league apps since the start of October.
With the welcome of Manchester United next up for Chelsea, Hudson-Odoi will hope to build upon a first Champions League goal of the season against Juventus as the Blues seek to at least maintain their three-point gap at the top of the Premier League. With Hudson-Odoi in his current form, though, you'd expect the Chelsea star to really test what is an absentee-hit United backline at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
