Chelsea 2 vs. 1 Plymouth Argyle FA Cup 4th Round Review

An unexpectedly tough game.

Chelsea welcomed Plymouth Argyle to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon for the FA Cup 4th Round game. Plymouth sat 7th in League One so on paper it should have been an easy afternon for Chelsea. It did not get off to the best starts though as Thomas Tuchel turned in a positive covid test and had to isolate. Chelsea still selected a strong lineup as Kepa started in goal with a back four of Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, and Sarr. Kovacic, and Jorginho started in the midfield two wth Hudson-Odoi, Mount, and Ziyech playing behind Lukaku up top. Tuchel was communicating with the staff via the phone throughout the game as it kicked off.

Gillesphey gave Plymouth the surprise lead against the run of play in the 8th minute via a set piece. Plymouth then defended with their lives as Chelsea hit the post three times. The equaliser finally came in the 41st minute after Mount sent in a low cross and Azpilicueta backheel flicked it into the goal.

It was all Chelsea for much of the game but Plymouth did come out and test Kepa in the latter stages in the 2nd half. The game went into extra time and Chelsea finally gained the lead in the 106th minute thanks to Alonso. Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz linked up well and Havertz cut back for Alonso to smash Chelsea into the lead. Plymouth then threw the kitchen sink at Chelsea and got a late penalty to send the game to penalties. Kepa though was more than up for the task and saved the shot to deny Plymouth. Chelsea saw out the final few minutes for the win. 

Chelsea Team Review

Goalkeeper

Kepa was strong once again and the goal that was conceded was not his fault but due to more marking. The penalty save is what Kepa is brilliant at and it was great to see him save Chelsea once again. A good overall game for him.

Defenders

Azpilicueta got a brilliant goal while Alonso also came off the bench to score the winner. Christensen, Rudiger, and Sarr had decent games as well. Chalobah came on later in the game to see out the win. The defence continues to be the torch bearer for goals in this team. 

Midfielders

Jorginho and Kovacic along with Mount found it tough to handle Plymouth physically in the 1st half. They got better as the game went on. Mount got an assist to his name. Saul came on later in the game to help search for a winner and see Chelsea to victory.

Forwards

Apart from Ziyech who was brilliant for the whole 120 minutes and Havertz and Werner who played a part in the winner no one else did much at the top. Hudson-Odoi didn’t have the best of games and was being muscled off the ball by Plymouth players. Lukaku was at his worst again and looked like he couldn’t be bothered to be on the pitch. Late to every ball, loose passes, no conviction it was a lacklustre performance. 41 shots and only 11 on target sums up Chelsea in front of goal. 

Manager

Tuchel would have been happy to see Chelsea progress to the next round but apart from that it would have been a poor performance for him. There is not much the German could have done and the players on the pitch really need to pick up in performances especially in attack.

Chelsea progress to the next round where they will face Luton Town away from home. For now Chelsea travelled to Abu Dhabi on Sunday for the Club World Cup. The team will be in the middle east for the week and will look to win another trophy. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

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Chelsea vs. Plymouth Argyle FA Cup 4th Round Preview

The FA Cup returns to resume football!

After a two week break where most of football including the fans took some time off to rest and relax and freshen their minds after a grueling winter period, the sport is back again. The Fa Cup 4th Round is upon us and Chelsea entertain Plymouth Argyle who sit 7th in Football League One. Plymouth beat Birmingham 0-1 in the last round and have since won one, drawn one and lost two of their games. It’s safe to say Plymouth are relative underdogs going into this game and similar to Chesterfield in the previous round Chelsea are heavy favourites.

Chelsea go into this game having beaten Chesterfield 5-1 in the last round. The club have since won two, drawn one and lost one. This is a good game for Chelsea to get back into the groove of things and another good chance for the academy players to get a run out at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea only play the solitary Premier League game this month against Palace as we will be involved in four different competitions this month. It’s a grueling schedule and a consequence of us being involved on all fronts and doing well. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Bettinelli should be back in goal for this game with a back four of Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Andreas Christensen, and Malang Sarr. I expect Lewis Hall and Saul to make up the midfield two with Hudson-Odoi, and Charlie Webster supporting Vale and Havertz up front. To be honest it is anyone guess who Tuchel picks having almost a full squad to select from apart from Silva, Pulisic, James, RLC, and Chilwell. Either way whoever plays Chelsea should have enough talent on the pitch and the bench to get the job done early and expertly. The players should be refreshed from the break and that should relfect on the pitch. 

Starting XI Prediction

Chelsea should get this game done nice and early in the 1st half. I expect a fresh peformance from the team and some of the academy players if given a start should look to impress. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Chelsea 2 vs. 0 Tottenham MW 23 Review

Make that 4-0 for the season!

Chelsea welcome London rivals Tottenham to Stamford Bridge on Sunday night for MW 23 of the Premier League season. Conte picked a strong lineup once again but I was surprised to see Reguilon left out. Tuchel went with a 4-1-4-1 formation as he said post match. Kepa started in goal with a back four of Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Silva, and Sarr. Jorginho played in the pivot with a midfield four of Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Kovacic, and Ziyech. Lukaku started up front. An interesting lineup and another use of the back four.

Chelsea’s first chance of the game came in the 44th second as Mount played a brilliant ball into the box but Lukaku skied the shot. Ziyech then played a brilliant ball to the far post but Hudson-Odoi headed it wide. Silva then headed wide from the corner. Ziyech then got a shot off while Winks had a shot at Kepa as well. Doherty made an ankle breaking challenge on Sarr in the 19th minute but was not even given a yellow. Hudson-Odoi went close once again. Lukaku then had a shot but sent it wide. Kane then scored a goal in the 41st minute but it was disallowed because he had pushed Thiago Silva in the back. Chelsea then went close a couple more times but neither team could score at half time. 

The first goal came in the 47th minute and what a goal it was. Hudson-Odoi burst past Tanganga and drove inwards to pass to Ziyech on the right hand side. Ziyech cut in made some space and finessed a shot right into the top right corner of the goal. It was as top corner as top corner gets. It was trademark Ziyech and many fans had been waiting for 18 months for that. A brilliant goal. Ziyech then came close once again but this time Lloris managed to save the shot. Dier then brought down Hudson-Odoi and Mount delivered a peach perfect cross into the box which Silva headed to make it 2-0 in the 55th minute. Kane had a couple of chances towards the end of the game but Chelsea managed it well to get three points. 

Chelsea Team Review

Goalkeeper

A clean sheet for Kepa. Some key saves during the game but it was more or less a comfortable evening. The Spaniard has stepped up in Mendy’s absence and has done well in all of his games. Very good form him and the teams confidence. 

Defenders

Azpilicueta did well defensively and offensively. His decoy run was key in creating space for Ziyech to take his shot. Silva got a goal and was brilliant all around, very quickly has become one of the fans favourite players. Absolute legend. Rudiger was also comfortable in a back four and controlled the defense well. Sarr stepped up once again and has really built a place for himself in the team. Very good to see for sure. Alonso came on in the 2nd half to see out the win. 

Midfielders

Jorginho, and Kovacic controlled the midfield well and were their usual brilliant selves. Mount had a very good game and should have got a couple of assists. It was a more energetic peformance from all that were involved. Kante came on in the 2nd half along with Saul as both of them helped maintain the cleansheet. 

Forwards

Hudson-Odoi started the game poorly but grew into it. He had Tanganga on strings for much of the game and the Spurs defender really should have been sent off. Did really well to get the assist for Ziyech’s goal. Lukaku was similar, the Belgian should have at least one or two goals to his name but he worked hard off the ball and at least visibly showed effort on the pitch. Ziyech was hands down the man of the match. From minute one in his favoured right wing position he ran the show. This was the player Chelsea bought two summers ago. A brilliant goal as well it was an amazing show from him.

Manager

Tuchel makes it three wins in a row against Conte as he did against Pep last season. It was a performance that will do him and the team a world of good going forward. A switch in formation will also add weapons to his arsenal.

Chelsea remain 3rd in the table with a 9 point lead over United who are 4th and a point behind Liverpool who are 2nd. Chelsea go into the a two week break now before we return with FA Cup action at home against Plymouth Argyle. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Chelsea vs. Tottenham MW 23 Preview

Round four against Spurs and final game before a break.

Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday for MW 23 of the Premier League season. This is the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. The third meeting in the last few weeks. The first two games against Conte and Spurs came in the Carabao Cup semi-final which Chelsea progressed through comfortably. Spurs go into this game sitting 5th in the table with four games in hand. They sit 8 points behind Chelsea and are unbeaten under Conte in the league this season. Leicester have played one game since the 2nd leg which came on Wednesday night. They beat Leicester 2-3 in extra time thanks to two goals from Bergwijn. Some positive momentum going into this game. 

Chelsea go into this game having played two games since the 2nd leg. A 1-0 loss to Manchester City and a 1-1 draw against Brighton. It is safe to say morale is slightly low in the team at the moment. The team looked exhuasted at Brighton and got two days off before returning to training for this game. The reverse fixture was a 0-3 win with Chelsea putting in a brilliant 2nd half display. The cup games were more of a formality although Spurs played better in the 2nd leg. This holds more weight though. A win would increse the gap to 11 points and give Chelsea some breathing space. If Spurs win then they would cut the gap to five points.

Chelsea Team Preview

Chalobah is back in training but probably won’t feature in this game. Kepa will be in goal. I expect a back three of Rudiger, Silva, and Sarr. Azpilicueta should start at right wing back while I would start Lewis Hall at left wing back. Jorginho, and Kovacic should start in midfield because Kante has not played well in the last two games. No one is performing well in attack but I would star Mount, Havertz, and Werner up top. The German’s have barely got a sniff over the last few games and they deserve a chance to impress. There will be plenty of options on the bench at least in attack. It’s a good XI and they should have some freshness back after a few more days of rest.

Tottenham Team Preview

Lloris should be in goal for this game. Davies, Sanchez, and Tanganga should start as the centre backs. Reguilon, and Emerson should start as the wing backs. Hojbjerg, Winks, and Skipp should form the midfield with Kane and Moura up front. Doherty, Gil, Alli, Sessegnon, and Bergwijn should offer options off the bench. Kane has impressed in recent games and will be keen to impress once again.

Starting XI Prediction

This is always a big game no matter how many times the teams play each other. For Chelsea it is a chance to go into the break on a high at Stamford Brdige. The energy levels need to be up the players need to know what they have to do. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Brighton 1 vs. 1 Chelsea MW 24 Review

A tough trip indeed.

Chelsea travelled to the Amex to play Brighton for MW 24 of the Premier League season. During the actual MW 24 Chelsea will be in the Middle East taking part in the Club World Cup so this was a game in hand played early. Brighton selecte a strong lineup while Chelsea played their 15th game over the last 6 weeks. Kepa started in goal with a back four of Azpi, Silva, Rudiger, and Alonso. Jorginho and Kante started as the midfield two with Mount and Ziyech ahead of them followed by Hudson-Odoi, and Lukaku. It was a 4-2-2-2 formation that could change to a three at the back if needed. 

Brighton were the better team for much of the game. Plenty of shots on the first half but Ziyech got the lead in the 28th minute with an effort from distance. It was a good shot but the muted celebration from Ziyech and the players felt like they were just happy to have got the goal. Chelsea kept the lead going into the 2nd half. 

Webster equalised for Brighton in the 60th minute via a header from a corner and Chelsa did react and finish as the better team but it was too little to late. Brighton were well worth their point and have been a strong team this season taking points off of several of the top six. 

Chelsea Team Review

Goalkeeper 

No clean sheet for Kepa but the goal was not his fault. It was a powerful header and there was poor marking in the box. Other than that the Spaniard had a good game.

Defenders

Azpilicueta, and Alonso had a torrid time against Cucurella, and Lamptey. The Brighton wing backs left both the Spaniards exhausted by the end of the game. The two also offered little going forward mostly because they were pinned back for much of the game. Silva, and Rudiger were probably the only two players with Kepa who gave good performances overall. 

Midfielders 

Jorginho was decent but Kante had a very tough time. The Frenchman has looked far from his normal self since the City game and it continued in this game. Bissouma wasn’t even on the pitch for Brighton. Mount was no better and looked exhausted as well while Kovacic came on in the 2nd half but could not do much in the final 10 minutes. 

Forwards

Ziyech had a poor start but improved after he scored the goal. Hudson-Odoi had a poor game and after Pulisic recieved criticism against City, CHO did no better with his chance. Lukaku was making constant runs but was not picked out. He himself could have done more as well in terms of dropping deep. Werner, and Havertz came on in the 2nd half and Werner for sure created a few chances but it was too little to late. 

Manager

Tuchel looked exhuasted and frustrated during this game. He was sitting on the bench for much of the game rather than commanding the players. The subs also came in the 80th minute which was unlike Tuchel. Clearly he is disgruntled at the moment.

The draw means that Chelsea remain 3rd with 44 points. Teams around us have games in hand but those teams have to win their games against some tough opponents. Chelsea looked exhausted, the fans are exhausted, and everyone seems like they need a break. One more game at the weekend for Chelsea against Spurs before a 2 week break for much of this team. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Brighton vs. Chelsea MW 24 Preview

A tough away trip.

Chelsea travel to Brighton to play Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex on Tuesday night. Chelsea are playing this game because, during MW 24 the Blues will be in Abu Dabhi playing in the Club World Cup. Brighton sit 9th in the Premier League with 6 wins 10 draws and 4 losses. They have 2 games in hand going into this game. The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last four but their season has been riddled with draws and inconsistency. The reverse fixture was played just before the New Year which Brighton managed draw in the final moments of the game. Graham Potter has built a tough team and every game against them is tough. 

Chelsea go into this game with no games in hand having just played on Saturday. This was supposed to be a week off until the World Cup’s schedule was announced. Still the question needs to be asked as to why this game could not be played on Wednesday. Tuchel and co sit 3rd in the Premier League after the loss to City at the weekend. We sit 6 points clear of 4th placed West Ham and 2 points behind Liverpool. With only one win in our last five fixtures there is a big room for improvement. The draw in the reverse fixture was a game in which Chelsea failed to finish chances and conceded via a header in the final moments of the game. A win in this game would take Chelsea above Liverpool and within 10 points of City with City yet to play and Liverpool having 2 games in hand. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Tuchel said pre match that there are no new injuries but no one is back form injury either. Kepa should start in goal with a back three of Azpilicueta, Silva, and Rudiger. I expect Sarr to play as the left wing back to deal with Cucurella, while I expect Hudson-Odoi to start as the right wing back to somehow manage to deal with Lamptey. Jorginho, and Kovacic should start in the midfield two. Saul could start but both him and Jorginho would offer little pace in the midfield. Up front I expect a front three of Mount, Werner, and Havertz. I do have a sneaky feeling that Lukaku could start in place of one of the Germans but apart from that I don’t see Ziyech or Pulisic starting this game. Could Lewis Hall be involved? Maybe. Either way it is a strong team but a tired one for sure. 

Brighton Team Preview

I expect Brighton to stick with their three at the back that worked against Chelsea in the reverse fixture. Potter is flexible with his formations though so we could see a change. Sanchez should start in goal with a back three of Webster, Burn, and Veltman. Cucurella, and Lamptey should start as the wing backs with a midfield of Bissouma, and Lallana. Trossard, Mac Allister, and Maupay should start up front. The likes of Moder, and Gross are also back while Welbeck and Alzate are available on the bench. Bissouma was not invovled in the last game so someone could drop in for him. Brighton are a good team with plenty of pace and have a solid defensive record. 

Starting XI Prediction

Brighton are a good team and will give Chelsea problems especially with the likes of Cucurella, and Lamptey. Chelsea’s attack needs to turn up for this game and we have to be clinical in front of goal. It’s time to build some positive momentum once again. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Manchester City 1 vs. 0 Chelsea MW 22 Review

Focus our priorites elsewhere. 

Chelsea travelled to the Etihad to play league leaders Manchester City for MW 22 of the Premier League season. This game was very much billed as a last stand and any hope that Chelsea could make up ground on City was contingent on a win. Pep set up with a strong team as several players returned. Ederson started in goal with a back four of Walker, Laporte, Stones, and Cancelo. Rodri, Silva, and De Bruyne started in midfield with Sterling, Grealish and Foden up front. Chelsea had Kepa in goal with a back three of Rudiger, Silva, and Sarr. Azpilicueta, and Alonso started as the wing backs with Kovacic and Kante in midfield. Pulisic, Ziyech and Lukaku started up front. 

I will sum the game up in one paragraph. Chelsea began well but, City began to dominate possession and the Chelsea back three fell back. The first half had no real clear cut chances but City had the threat. Chelsea failed to register a shot at City in the first half. The first time this happened in a game since 2018. The 2nd half was much of the same. De Bruyne scored a brilliant goal in the 70th minute to get the win for City. Chelsea only woke up after conceding and the subs of Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Werner helped. Nothing more to the game than that, City just clearly better. 

Chelsa Team Review

Goalkeeper

Kepa did well throughout the game. He came out to make blocks distributed the ball well and made some crucial saves. The goal was not his fault it was just a well placed shot. A good game overall.

Defenders

The defence was good but Sarr stood out in the back three. Thrown into his biggest game yet and did well overall. Rudiger and Sarr kept Grealish, and Sterling quiet for much of the game. Silva was his brilliant self. What can I say about Azpilicueta and Alonso that hasn’t been said. They lack pace and were not able to handle Cancelo and Walker. Alonso especially had a bad time. Stark contrast to Chilwell, and James.

Midfielders

Kovacic, and Kante had good games but they were overrun at times and pressed out of possession. Not the best time for them. Mount came on in the 2nd half and brought some energy but it was too little to late. 

Forwards

The attack was the worst part of the game. Pulisic was non existent but is young and has capacity to improve. Ziyech’s decision making the final third was poor and their is no consistency with him at the moment. Lukaku was extremely poor. The Belgian’s first touch was way off, along with poor decision making and poor finishing. Lukaku could have actually scored two goals but we failed to score any. Hudson-Odoi, and Werner brought some pace to the attack but after conceding any momentum was lost. 

Manager

Tuchel said he was happy with certain aspects of the game. When asked about Lukaku Tuchel said that sometimes the Belgian needs to do the creating himself. Tuchel also stated that the finishing was way off and that the forward players need to be consistent. Tuchel will know there are still several things to achieve this season so he will try to keep the morale high.

A 13 point gap now between Chelsea and City. The title race is well and truly over if you held any hope prior to this game. All Chelsea can do now is try and cut the gap to single digits and win the cups. It would still be a very good season overall. Next up Brighton, COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Manchester City vs. Chelsea MW 22 Preview

The top 2 go head to head.

Chelsea travel to the Etihad Stadium to play league leaders Manchester City on Saturday. City sit 10 points clear at the top of the table and both teams have no games in hand. City have just steamed ahead over Christmas with a bit of fortune with regards to Covid and injuries they have increase the gap. City have won their last 11 games in the league and just look unbeatable at the moment. Liverpool have lost two games and Chelsea have lost 2 games but the draws mean that the gap has just increased over time. 

Chelsea go into this game having drawn four of the last five games in the league. That in itself has seen us drop 8 points which is basically the gap to City. The draw against Liverpool and the 3 performances against Spurs and Chesterfield were good in turns of resting players and gaining some momentum. Chelsea do go into this game better off than they were 2 weeks ago. The reverse fixture saw City win 0-1 thanks to a dodgy goal by Jesus but overall City were the better team. Tuchel said pre match that Chelsea were defensive and didn’t set up right in that game and he takes responsbility for it and has learned from it. Overall Tuchel has played Pep four times and come out the winner three times. There is something to fight for in this game. Tuchel and team will be hungry to set the record straight after that game at Stamford Bridge. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Chelsea will be without Reece James and Chilwell as usual. Chalobah is still with injury as well while Christensen has also been ruled out through Covid. Kepa should start in goal but the defence is where it get’s interesting. I expect Azpilicueta, Silva, and Rudiger start in the back three but Sarr could start if Tuchel decides to switch it to a back four. Kante and Kovacic should start in midfield with Alonso, and Pulisic as the wing backs. Mount, Werner, and Havertz should start up front. We could see Ziyech start ahead of Mount though because he looked like he was struggling against Spurs. We could also see Lukaku and Havertz start with Werner dropped but the Germans are more mobile. There are some interesitng tweakes available for Tuchel along with playing Hudson-Odoi as a wing back. 

Man City Team Preview

City go into this game having had a weeks worth of rest. Pep said they had fresh covid cases but did not disclose names. We can base our predicitons off of who was avaiable against Swindon. Ederson might be out with Covid so Steffen could start in goal. Walker and Cancelo should start as the full backs. Laporte and Dias should start as the centre backs. Gundogan, Rodi, and De Bruyne should make up the midfield while Silva and Palmer should start either side of Jesus. City didn’t have the strongest bench against Swindon, Mahrez, Grealish, and Sterling were all missing With players back and more missing this is the safest prediciton to make. A strong starting XI regardless, and one that is churning out results. 

Starting XI Prediction

It’s for sure a massive game given recent games. If City win then Chelsea would be well and truly out of the title race. If Chelsea win then the gap is cut to seven points with still some to go around. I expect Chelsea to give it their all and if we do it is more than possible to get a result at the Etihad. COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Tottenham 0 (0) vs. (3) 1 Chelsea Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg Review

We are heading to Wembley!

Chelsea took a short trip within London to play Tottenham in the 2nd leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Chelsea had a 2 goal advantage going into the game and Spurs had to come out and get 2 without reply to take the game to extra time. Weirdly Conte fielded an even weaker team on paper than the 1st leg. Son was already out injured but Gollini started instead of Lloris and Los Celso started in the front three. Tuchel went strong with Kepa in goal and back four of Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, and Sarr. Kovacic, and Jorginho started in the midfield with Hudson-Odoi, and Mount in front of them. Lukaku, and Werner started up front. A hybrid 4-2-2-2 of sorts that could switch to a back three. The likes of Silva, and Kante returned to the bench. 

The first half was all Chelsea once again. Spurs showed a bit more intitiative but Chelsea were able to silence the occasion and atmosphere within the stadium via possession. The only goal came in the 18th minute as Rudiger flicked the ball into the net with his back after Gollini failed to gather the ball. Rudiger then brought down Hojbjerg outside the box but the referee ordered a penalty. VAR intervened and cancelled it. Chelsea had a few more chances in the 1st half but could not take advantage. 

The 2nd half saw Spurs try to get back into the game and they had another penalty ruled out by VAR after Kepa made a legitimate tackle on Moura but the referee awarded a penalty. Kepa then made a poor pass and Kane was able to score but was ruled offside. Three goals by Spurs but all ruled out. Chelsea didn’t have any big chances in the 2nd half but managed the game well despite being their own worst enemy. 

Chelsea Team Review

Goalkeeper

Cleansheet for Kepa and some solid saves from him in the game as well. The offside goal did stem from his mistake and he should know that in a pressure situation just boot it. A confident performance and good to see him doing well.

Defenders

A cleansheet for the defenders but some shaky moments through our own mistakes. Sarr was very good throughout the game and continues to do well when given a chance. Silva and Alonso did come in the 2nd half and managed to see out the win. Kane was the only real threat at times.

Midfielders

Jorginho and Kovacic controlled the midfield and passed around whatever Spurs through at them. Mount looked off pace and looked like he was struggling with something. Loftus-Cheek and Kante came on in the 2nd half with Chelsea flexing their depth. 

Forwards

Hudson-Odoi did well on the wing again and was dangerous. Werner and Lukaku linked up well in the first half with Werner especially invovled in a lot of the good moments. This is a formation that suits him. Ziyech came on in the 2nd half to see out the game along with the other substitutions. 

Manager

Tuchel post match said he was happy with the first half but the 2nd half was lacking and we weren’t playing at our full potentional. The German said that there is always room for improvement as well. There was good ingame management to change the formation when Spurs looked like gaining some momentum. Another final for him and that will please the team.

27th February the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. The opponent will be Arsenal or Liverpool but Chelsea can park the tournament for now. Next up is a trip to Manchester City in the Premier League, COME ON CHELSEA!!!

Tottenham (0) vs. (2) Chelsea Carabao Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg Preview

Big game at Spurs!

Chelsea travel to North London to play the 2nd leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham. Chelsea have a 2 goal advantage going into the game but there is no away goal advantage. Spurs go into this game having beaten Morecambe during the weekend and will have to score a minimum of 2 goals without reply to take the game to extra time. Spurs in the first leg were extremely poor for much of the game so there is alot of room for improvement in this 2nd leg.

Chelsea go into this game with the 2 goal advantage and having beaten Chesterfield 5-1 in the FA Cup. Tuchel pre-match said that the advantage doesn’t exist and the players need to treat this as a one off game. A tough team at a tough stadium with an amazing coach. Chelsea can expect tougher opposition with Spurs at home and Spurs will have to come out fighting in this game. The first leg was straight forward but Chelsea could have easily scored a few more and finished this tie off. 

Chelsea Team Preview

Kepa should return to goal after the rest during the weekend. I expect a back three of Azpilicueta, Silva, and Rudiger. Pulisic, and Alonso should start as the wing backs with a midfield of Jorginho, and Kovacic. Mount, Ziyech, and Lukaku should start up front for Chelsea. Plenty of these players were rested during the weekend and should be fresh for this game. The likes of Werner, Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Saul, and Kante should be available off the bench. Chelsea did switch between a 3 at the back and 4 in the first leg and I expect the same here. Pulisic, and Ziyech can then move up with Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, and Alonso as the back four. Lewis Hall is also still with the squad after his brilliant performance against Chesterfield. I doubt he will start as a left wing back in this game. It’s a good lineup and one that has players in some sort of good form.

Tottenham Team Preview

Tottenham will not have Son available for this game as he has been ruled out for the month. Conte was able to rest key players during the weekend but the likes of Moura and Kane did eventually come on to get the win for Conte. Lloris should start in goal with a back three of Tanganga, Sanchez, and Davies. Emerson, and Reguilon should start as the wing backs with Skipp, and Hodjberg making up the midfield two. Moura, Gil, and Kane should start up front for Spurs. I doubt there is a gung ho form of Conte but maybe Alli could start in one of the midfield positions if they want to attack more or Winks. 

Starting XI Prediction

Tottenham failed to bring the fire in the 1st leg and Chelsea dominated the game. The 2nd leg should see Tottenham come out fighting because they are at home and the crowd will demand it. Cheslea will treat this game as a one off and will know the job is not done until the whistle has blown to end the game. COME ON CHELSEA!!!