
Chelsea, with a new interim manager, won the FA Cup semifinal and reached the final. Now they aim to do the same in the Premier League to rejoin the fight for a Champions League spot.
Chelsea got into trouble as a result of their sporting decisions. A chain of events led them to lose even the comfort of the European competitions zone in the Premier League table. The surprising departure of Enzo Maresca at the beginning of the year led to the appointment of Liam Rosenior, who never quite managed to connect with the locker room.
Now, with a new interim manager, Calum McFarlane, they have already achieved a victory in the FA Cup that qualified them for the final of the cup, which is no small feat. Now they will look for one in the league to be able to get three points and get back into contention, because the upper mid-table of the Premier League is more competitive than ever.
Injuries and doubts for the match:
Reece James (doubt), Levi Colwill (doubt), Filip Jorgensen (groin), Jamie Gittens (thigh), and Estevao Willian (thigh).
Chelsea’s possible lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Robert Sanchez - His interventions change games because they save the team while motivating them to keep fighting until the end. Against Leeds, he took out two balls that already seemed to be in and then managed the goal calmly.
RB: Malo Gusto - A natural creator of plays. He cuts inside like an extra midfielder and appears where no one follows him. His heat map shows a restless player who moves all over the pitch.
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo - His starting against Leeds was a surprise that ended up pleasing the manager and would point to an inclusion in the starting XI. When he has to defend, he positions his body well so they don’t get past him, and he resolves without complicating things when he’s on the edge.
CB: Trevoh Chalobah - He has hints of a street player in his forays forward, because he dares to do more than is usually seen in Premier League games. He builds his game mostly from his sector, without moving around much, but keeping the area safe.
LB: Marc Cucurella - He blends into every match he takes part in. This wear and tear means he doesn’t have much energy left to go forward and attack, so he turns every recovery into a small personal triumph.
CM: Moises Caicedo - If he makes a mistake, on the next play, he goes for everything without hanging his head. He gives more than he has to rebalance his performance throughout the match.
CM: Romeo Lavia - Simple and precise play. Hard to pressure, he always offers a clean outlet from the back.
RW: Pedro Neto - When he starts, the opponent retreats. He gets into the opponent’s area without warning and, if they try to stop him, he solves it by sending in a cross that ends up at his teammates’ feet. In fact, he just served a perfect one for Enzo.
AM: Enzo Fernandez - Thanks to his good understanding with the rest of the team, he moves into the opponent’s area as if he were a forward to receive crosses. Not only that, but he also organizes every play backed by his role as captain. He has scored eight goals so far this season.
LW: Cole Palmer - He alternates starts and substitute appearances. To face Forest, he is set to be part of the starting XI. Little by little, he works on his connection with the match and the team, so as to recover the performance he showed in other seasons.
ST: Joao Pedro - He is not a stationary penalty-area forward. He comes out, bumps into opponents, drops back if necessary, and runs back on recoveries. He makes others play and, in passing, creates his own chances even if the ball doesn’t come to him cleanly. That’s how he managed to score 14 goals in 28 starts.
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