It was an all too familiar feeling for Blues fans as the final whistle blew at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Chelsea had lost an FA Cup Final for consecutive seasons, succumbing to Leicester City in this years’ edition of the competition. It would be remiss, however, to believe that this was a one-off occurrence for the team as head coach, Thomas Tuchel had suggested in his post-match interview. Rather what culminated at Wembley, was a week of trials and tribulations for Tuchel that ultimately ended in heartbreak.

Stamford Bridge – Wednesday May 12th

The week from hell started at home to Arsenal. A win in the contest would put Chelsea one step closer to the top four and all but guarantee its placement in next seasons Champions League. But as Blues fans have come to realise, nothing comes easy for the club when the pressure is on. A torrid spell for the hosts, that started with Kai Havertz, who fluffed a glorious opportunity to put the team ahead after skying an effort over the bar, ended with a moment of madness from Jorginho who proceeded to pass a ball back into an open Chelsea net. Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga tried his best to spare the Italian midfielders blushes with a miraculous save off the line, however, the ball fell to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who teed up Emile Smith-Rowe to cooly slot the ball into the far corner of the Chelsea post. The Gunners had managed to hoodwink their way to a 1-0 lead and managed to see out the result after a resilient defensive performance.

Where did it go wrong for Tuchel?

Tuchel’s pragmatic approach to falling behind cost Chelsea a way back into the game. Instead of withdrawing Jorginho, he opted to take off the inexperienced Billy Gilmour at halftime, for Callum Hudson-Odoi. The second change of the evening came in the 65th minute as Olivier Giroud came on for Kai Havertz, and Tuchel’s final roll of the dice saw Cesar Azpilicueta withdrawn for Hakim Ziyech in the 78th minute. While this change forced a reversion to a back four system which allowed Chelsea to exploit spaces on the wing, it came too late for any Chelsea players to have an impact. The loss was disappointing, but fans hoped Tuchel would learn from his mistakes as the focus quickly shifted to the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Wembley Stadium – Saturday May 15th

Buoyed by the belief that Tuchel would learn from his mistakes in mid-week, Chelsea fans came into this encounter with renewed optimism. Unfortunately, that optimistic approach sonly turned pessimistic as Blues fans yet again witnessed Timo Werner spurn a number of chances to put the team ahead. One moment of brilliance from Youri Tielemans separated the two sides, and though the Blues dug deep and managed an equaliser in the 88th minute, it was heartbreakingly chalked offside after VAR deemed Ben Chillwell offside in the build up to the goal.

Where did it go wrong for Tuchel?

Pragmatism again rung true for Tuchel in this encounter as he stubbornly stuck with the formula that has worked for most of the season. Instead of conjuring up a strategy to beat Leicester he was seemingly more focused on how he could stop them. The result? Recce James dropped to right centre back and Cesar Azpilicueta was deployed at right wing back. As fate would have it, it was James’ misplaced pass that eventually fell to Tielemans that proved the difference.After falling behind, Tuchel, to the surprise of most, turned to his bench after just five minutes. A double change saw Marcos Alonso and Hakim Ziyech replaced by Ben Chillwell and Christian Pulisic, but one must beg the question as to why those players didn’t start in the first place. Less than ten minutes after that change, Tuchel again went to his bench and withdrew Jorginho and Cesar Azpilicueta for Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson Odoi. Chelsea finally had its much-needed threat down the right side of midfield, but it was again too late. As desperation kicked in, Werner was finally withdrawn for Olivier Giroud, but the Blues came up short.

What’s next for Tuchel?

Tuchel will have to pull out all the stops to win the ensuing three fixtures of the season. As he referred to it himself, the three remaining fixtures are three finals. Chelsea will host Leicester City again on Tuesday, close out the season away to Aston Villa on Sunday, then play the Champions League final six days later in the ensuing Saturday against Manchester City. What’s in store for City? The club has already won the league, so all that Pep Guardiola’s side have left to play for is total points and pride.

Some can argue this could fall in Chelsea’s favour as they will be sharper than City entering the encounter, however, the added rest for City could also prove the difference. Among the many discussions which will take place in the build up to the game, one thing rings true, Tuchel must change his pragmatic approach to games and begin to take more risks if the Blues are to have a chance. He has to push all the proverbial chips in, or possibly end the season empty-handed. Blues fans should not dwell too much on what was possibly the worst week for Chelsea in recent history, instead they must look to the final three fixtures (finals) with optimism that Tuchel can and will eventually get it right.

Chelsea F.C. will travel to the North West of England, On Saturday to take on a Manchester City F.C team that is desperate for a win. At the moment, one point is all that separates the two teams, with the Blues occupying third place in the table with 26 points, while the defending champions, City sit in 4th, with just 25 points.

Tactical Analysis: Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola VS Frank Lampard

This will be the first career managerial meeting of Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola and Frank Lampard. Guardiola’s record against Chelsea, however, shows mixed results. In the previous thirteen meetings in all competitions, he has won 6, drawn 3, and lost 4, and surprisingly, is is only against Liverpool F.C (5) that the Spaniard has lost more than he has against Chelsea (4). Lampard, on the other hand, has never faced City in his managerial career, but has played for both teams in the past. From a tactical perspective, Guardiola will undeniably have the upper hand as he has been managing in Europe’s top leagues for eleven years, whereas Lampard has only been in management at the top level for a little over four months.

Playing with the backing of a home crowd desperate for a victory, Guardiola will set his team up to play expansive attacking football and will throw everything at Chelsea. Lampard, however, will acknowledge this threat, and he will adjust his tactics to counter City’s approach. Both managers’ share similar philosophies of possession-based football, however, they differ when it comes to the battle of possession over space. Guardiola favours the former, while Lampard favours the latter. This differing in opinion will be shown on the field in the sense that Guardiola will ask for his team to dominate possession in all phases of the field, whereas, Lampard will ask for his team to possess the ball in the meaningful quadrants of the pitch, mainly the oppositions final third.

Knowing that anything but a win will not be good enough to sustain a title challenge, Guardiola will stick to what he knows best, which is to throw everything at Chelsea for ninety minutes. From the onset, Lampard will try to match City’s attacking output, but he will adapt to a more conservative counter-attacking style of play if he sees his team being played off the park in the early stages. While defending the football, both managers will ask for their players to press the opposition relentlessly, which will set the fixture up to be open and exciting.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Predicted Manchester City Lineup:

Prediction: Manchester City 2 Chelsea 1

Chelsea F.C. will travel to the South East of England to take on Southampton F.C. at St. Mary’s Stadium for game week 8 of the Premier League season. Currently sitting in 7th place in the table, the Blues’ are chasing a Champions League qualification placing, and can climb as high as 4th with a win. Conversely, the Saints’, sit in 14th place in the table and are 2 points adrift from a relegation spot.

Tactical Analysis: Ralph Hasenhüttl VS Frank Lampard.

This will be the first meeting of managers’ Ralph Hasenhüttl and Frank Lampard. Both managers share a mutual respect for one another and they are drawn to similar philosophies of football: they both want to play a high tempo game, want their teams to press well, and want their teams to play exciting attacking football.

Dubbed the “Austrian Klopp” due to his footballing similarities to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Hasenhüttl plays an aggressive form of pressing football, referred to by Klopp as the “counter-press”. Where the Austrian differs from the German coach, however, is that he utilizes a long-ball approach instead of a possession-based style of play.

Chelsea manager, Lampard on the other hand, will utilize a counter-press of his own, however he will also try to dominate possession of the football and take the game to the opposition. Unlike his counterpart, he will play patient football and will try to break down the opposition by forcing them to chase the ball for 90 minutes.

Ultimately, Hasenhüttl’s counter-press approach in combination with his teams propensity to play high-risk long balls, will make for a demanding afternoon for the Chelsea backline. Still, on the back of a two game win streak, the Blues’ will make it three in a row at St. Mary’s Grounds as the team heads toward the international break.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Southampton Predicted Lineup:

Prediction: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3

Chelsea F.C. will host Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. (Brighton) at Stamford Bridge, on Saturday, for game week 7 of the Premier League season. Having won twice this season, the Blues’ head into this encounter occupying 11th place in the table. The Seagulls, meanwhile, have won just once, and occupy the 15th place in the table.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard VS Graham Potter.

This will be the third meeting of managers’ Frank Lampard and Graham Potter in league play. The pair butted heads twice in last seasons English Football League Championship, when Lampard was managing Derby County F.C. and Potter was managing, Swansea City A.F.C. Lampard led his team to 2-1 and 1-1 results at home and away, in those games respectively.

Both coaches share similar philosophies of football and want their teams to dominate possession of the football. The main difference between the two coaches is that Potter swears by his 3-4-3 formation, but, Lampard is more adaptable, and can set his team up in both 3-back and 4-back formations.

Playing at home, Lampard will ask for his team to show its attacking intent early on in the game. He will ask for his team to press relentlessly to try to win the ball back in advanced positions and counter attack with pace and skill.

Potter, on the other hand, will ask for his team to sit back and absorb whatever pressure Chelsea sends at them in the early stages. His 3-4-3 formation will revert to a 5-4-1 and he will try to break down Chelsea on the counter-attack. When his team finally grows into the game and is able to possess the football for extended periods, he will try to play a brand of possession-based football and press Chelsea.

While this shouldn’t be considered an “easy” contest for Chelsea, it should be a match that the team should comfortably win at home. Potter will give it his best effort, but Lampard’s Chelsea will prove too much for the team from East Sussex.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Brighton Predicted Lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Brighton 0

Chelsea F.C. will host, Liverpool F.C. at Stamford Bridge, on Sunday, for game week 6 of the Premier League season. Sitting in first place in the table, Liverpool come into this encounter on the back of a five game win-streak, whereas, Chelsea, who sit in 9th, have won just twice in the League this season.

Tactical Analysis: Frank Lampard VS Jurgen Klopp

Playing at home, Chelsea should attempt to play its own brand of possession-based football. Manager, Frank Lampard has experimented with a 3 backline formation in the past two games, however, he should revert back to his trusted 4-3-3 formation to facilitate the return of Ngolo Kanté to the team.

From the onset, Lampard will ask for his players to maintain possession of the football and press relentlessly when defending the football. In possession, initial build up play will start at the defence, as short balls will be played amongst the centre-backs and Jorginho, and once an opening is created, the ball will be played towards the advanced centre midfielders. Those players will then attempt to beat the first line of the oppositions press, and if the first line of press is successfully beaten, they will try to play passes towards the wingers or the centre forward. Once in this position, the team will rely on the creativity of its wide players to create a crossing opportunity for the centre forward to attack. If the opportunity to cross, is not there, the wingers will play the ball back towards the midfielders and wait for another opportunity to eventually present itself.

On the other side of the dugout, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp will also try to play possession-based football, yet the key difference will be that his style of play will be more direct and his team will concentrate on attacking down the right side of the field.

Both managers will defend using a counter-press style of play, whereby the players will press the opposition relentlessly, in an attempt to win back possession of the football in advanced positions. In order to facilitate this style of defending, both sides will play a high defensive line, which will allow for space to be exploited behind both defensive lines. This will set the stage for a mouthwatering encounter of attacking football.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup:

Predicted Liverpool Lineup:

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1

Chelsea F.C. will travel to to the West Midlands to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. (Wolves) at Molineux Stadium for game week 5 of the Premier League season. Heading into the matchup, Chelsea sit in 11th place in the Premier League table, after winning just one of their four League matches, while Wolves sit in 17th place, following a win-less streak in the League this season.

Tactical Analysis: Nuno Espirito Santo VS Frank Lampard.

This will be the first League meeting of managers, Nuno Espirito Santo and Frank Lampard. The two don’t share a managerial history together as yet, but, they have suited up against each other as past-players, when Santo played for Porto F.C. and Lampard for Chelsea. The pair were also linked with the Chelsea managerial position during the summer due to them sharing similar philosophies of football.

Santo is a very attack-minded coach. Playing at home he will try to take the game to Chelsea by utilizing a counter-press and will look to attack the wide areas of the field. Likely lining up in his favoured 3-5-2 formation, the Portuguese manager will ask his wing-backs to drive forward at the opposition in an attempt to crowd the wide areas of the field. This will cause many problems for the Blues, as they found great difficulty defending this approach in their last game against Sheffield United F.C.

The Portuguese tactician will also adapt his tactics to the flow of the game. In periods where possession is hard to come by, his formation will revert to a 5-3-2 with the wing-backs dropping back into defence. When defending the football, he will ask his team to press relentlessly and counter-attack with pace and skill. This will be another area of concern for Chelsea as they have struggled to defend counter-attacking teams.

Lampard, on the other hand, favours a more orthodox approach when lining his team up. He’s favoured a 4-3-3 formation for three of the four League matches, while utilizing a 4-2-3-1 just once this this season. Lining up in the 4-3-3 will allow for Chelsea to counter-press with two blocks of three, so it is expected that he will continue to opt for that approach. Additionally, playing with three midfielders will allow for the left and right centre midfielders to help out with the counter-press to press the Wolves’ wing backs.

When possessing the football, Lampard will want his team to be energetic and attack the opposition relentlessly. The midfielders will try to seek out balls toward the wingers, who will tuck in to a more central position, while the full-backs will advance forward to create overlaps with the wingers. Once the ball is moved towards the wing areas, the full-backs will try to play quick low crosses into the box for the centre-forward to pounce on. When the option to cross is not available, the ball will be played back to a supporting midfielder in an attempt to find a better option towards the Wolves goal. The caveat to playing this way, however, is that it is extremely demanding both physically and mentally on the players and it leaves the defence open at times. Wolves’ will try to exploit these spaces, especially in the centre of midfield and the wide areas.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Predicted Wolves Lineup:

Prediction: Wolves 1 Chelsea 2