In part 3 of the UEFA Europa League Final preview some final notes/thoughts will be given and a winner will be chosen.

The favourite: Chelsea F.C. The Blues are favoured by the bookies in this matchup due to their fantastic form in the competition. With a total of 32 goals scored up to this point, no other team in the competition has scored more than Chelsea. In addition to scoring at will, the team has also controlled more possession of the ball than any other team in the tournament, averaging 62.9% of the ball per game.

The underdog: Arsenal F.C. Despite losing to Chelsea just once in the last 5 encounters, Arsenal F.C are the underdog in this matchup due to the teams tendency to play poorly away from home. The team has lost twice playing away from home since the start of the knockout stages, falling 1-0 to BATE Borisov in Belarus and 3-1 to Rennes in France in the rounds of 32 and 16 respectively.

Team News:

Chelsea: After injuring his knee in training, Ngolo Kanté is questionable to play. When questioned on whether the player would be fit to play in tomorrow’s game, Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri said there is a 50/50 chance. If the Frenchman is kept out, the onus will fall on Mateo Kovačić to play the defensive midfielder role in the squad, while Ross Barkley will take up the vacant position on the left side of midfield.

Arsenal: Apart from Henrikh Mkhitaryan not travelling with the Arsenal squad for personal reasons, Danny Welbeck is likely to get a call to the bench after returning to training later in the week.

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Arsenal 1. Arsenal win via Penalty Shoot Out

The first ten minutes of the game will be played at a staggered pace due to a combination of players’ nerves and the atmosphere (or lack of) in the Baku Olympic Stadium. By the quarter mark of the match, however, the tempo will begin to pick up and Arsenal will look the more threatening of the two teams. The Gunners will draw first blood through Alexandre Lacazette, however, as the Frenchman begins to pull out his imaginary flute, the goal will be called back due to a VAR decision. Woken up by the reality of almost conceding, Chelsea will grow into the game and start to control possession of the football, yet, goal scoring opportunities will be hard to come by. The half will end in a stalemate with the title on the line in the second.

As Chelsea has done for most of the season, the team will concede within the first ten minutes of the second half (possibly from a set piece) and this time the goal will stand. Forced with the prospect of scoring to stay alive, Chelsea will manage to reply with a goal of their own through Pedro. The momentum will shift in Chelsea’s favour as the team seeks out a game winning goal, but the final whistle will blow with both teams level.

Both teams will look leggy in extra time as fatigue sets in and as both 15 intervals come and go the penalty shoot out will determine a winner. In a reversal of roles Arsenal goalkeeper, Petr Cech will be the hero in the shootout, as he was in Munich, as he denies his former club a chance at a title this season. Chelsea will be denied the opportunity to send Eden Hazard (and possibly Sarri) off with one more trophy, however, Cech will be immortalized in the Arsenal fans’ books as the man who helped them to UEFA Champions League qualification for next season.

In part 2 of the UEFA Europa League Final preview, Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri and his projected starting XI will be explored.

Maurizio Sarri is a seasoned manager who’s coaching style has landed him in the upper echelon of world football in recent years. He is revered by players and fans alike because he plays his own brand of possession-style football, which his peers have dubbed “Sarriball” or “Sarrismo”. The Italian is a philosopher of the game who believes there is only one way to play the game, his way.

When dissecting the “Sarrismo” style of play there are a few defining features which standout: 1) retaining possession of the football, 2) quick interchanges in the opponents attacking third, 3) creating and maintaining movement between the lines, and 4) when playing on the defensive; maintaining a high line and press.

In order to accomplish these things, Sarri trusts in his 4-3-3 formation. In the 14 UEFA Europa League games which Chelsea has played in, he has lined his players up that way in every game.

An analysis of the “Sarrismo” 4-3-3 formation:

The 4-3-3 system is reliant upon three main subsystems: the backline, the midfield, and the front three.

The backline:

The backline is a pivotal subsystem to “Sarrismo”. It is made up of two central defenders that must be excellent when in possession of the football, as well as, two wing backs that flank both sides of the field. The centre backs are relied upon to initiate control of possession within their own half and they play quick passes amongst themselves and the goalkeeper. The wingbacks have the freedom to push forward and assist in attack, and are tasked with forcing the opposing team into pressing one quadrant of the field.

For Chelsea, the backline consists of left centre-back, David Luiz, right centre-back Andreas Christensen, and wing backs: Emerson Palmieri, who plays on the left, and Cesar Azpilicueta, who plays on the right. Both Luiz and Christensen are skilled in possession of the football, yet Luiz is also skilled at playing long through passes to the attacking line. A defining characteristic of Sarri’s system is the dependency to force possession down the left side of the field, and for this reason, Emerson is relied upon to make runs forward to support players on that side of the field.

The midfield:

The midfield is the bread and butter of “Sarrismo”. It is made up of three central midfielders that have key roles within the subsystem. For Chelsea, Jorginho Frello is tasked with the most important role in the squad which is that of the “regista”. He is a deep-lying playmaker that sits deep in midfield and kick starts vertical transitions. To the right of him is N’Golo Kanté who shuttles between defence and attack and serves as a passing option for both Jorginho and the wing backs. Rounding out the midfield, to the left of Jorginho is Mateo Kovačić, who takes on a similar role as Kanté, however, he has the freedom to advance forward more often.

The front 3:

Once in the the opponents attacking third, the front three is relied upon for creating goal scoring opportunities. It consists of two wide players and a lone centre forward. A distinguishing difference between the “Sarrismo” front three, as opposed to, a traditional front three is that there is a reliance on the individual skill of the wider players and quick interchanges of play for creating opportunities.

For Chelsea, most of the play is focused on the left, spearheaded by Eden Hazard. The left winger utilizes his individual skill to get past the oppositions defenders and plays cut back passes into the supporting players in and around the opposition’s box. Pedro Rodriguez takes up a position on the right side of the field and also uses his skill and above-average finishing to create opportunities for the team. Leading the line for the Blues is Olivier Giroud who excels at maintaining possession of the football, laying off passes to both the midfield and wide players, and he excels at finishing crosses into the box due to his excellent aerial prowess.

*In part three, which will be posted tomorrow, a tactical analysis of both managers will be examined, as well as predicting a winner of the final. Stay tuned!

In part 1 of the UEFA Europa League Final preview, Arsenal coach, Unai Emery and his predicted starting XI will be explored.

Unai Emery is a an experienced manager who won the Europa League in three consecutive years from 2013-16 during his previous managerial spell at Sevilla. He has developed a tendency to utilize a variety of formations and has lined up in five different formations in the Europa League tournament. He is versatile and can can alter his tactics to match the opposition he is facing, so it will be difficult to predict how his Arsenal team will lineup in Wednesday’s final.

If history is an indicator, the Spanish tactician may opt for the 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-2-1-2 formations he utilized in the previous two Premier League meetings with Chelsea, yet, in the Europa League, since his Arsenal side lost to Rennes in the first leg of the round of 16, he has switched to a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Assuming the Spanish tactician sticks with that formation, he will do so because it will allow him to get the best out of his strikers, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Moreover, playing a four midfield with two wing backs will allow Arsenal to exploit open spaces on the wings.

An analysis of the 3-4-1-2 formation:

In order for the 3-4-1-2 to work, there are four main subsystems that the team must rely on: the back line, the wing backs, the two midfield pivot, and the ‘front three’ (one attacking midfielder and two strikers).

The backline:

The backline is the most crucial subsystem of the formation. It is made up of three central defenders that must have a great understanding of both positioning and spacing. The trio must also be comfortable with the ball at their feet, as they are relied upon to also link play with the wing backs and the midfield.

For Arsenal, the defender who is positioned central of the three is Laurent Koscielny. Having played in a back three formation since former manager, Arsene Wenger adopted it in 2017, the Frenchman is well suited to be deployed in the position. To the left and right of ‘Kosc’ are, Nacho Monreal, who also played in a back three for Wenger, and newcomer Sokratis Papastathopoulos, respectively.

The wing backs:

The wing backs are another critical subsystem of the 3-4-1-2 formation. They are relied upon to utilize the wide areas of the field. Both players are expected to put in a shift on both halves of the field, but they have the freedom to choose when to push forward and when to stay back.

For Arsenal the wing backs are Sead Kolašinac, who takes up a position on the left side of midfield, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who plays on the right side of midfield. Kolasinac works in tandem with Monreal and Maitland Niles with Sokratis.

The two midfield pivot:

The two midfield pivot work in tandem to assist both defensively and offensively. Both players serve as cover for the backline, but can also drive forward to add numbers to the midfield if needed.

For Arsenal, Granit Xhaka plays the role of a traditional box-to-box midfielder for his attacking prowess, while Lucas Torreira is relied upon for his ‘bulldog’ mentality of hounding down the ball and forcing pressure on the opposition.

The two strikers and attacking midfielder:

The pivotal subsystem of the formation is the ‘front 3’, which Arsenal rely on for goals. The two strikers are supported by a lone attacking midfielder, who plays in a traditional no.10 role. Due to the centre attacking midfielders tendency to stay central, the two strikers have the freedom to either drift wide or drop back deep in order to gain possession of the ball and start an attack.

For Arsenal, Mesut Özil plays the role of the central attacking midfielder, while Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang form a formidable partnership up top. While the ‘front 3’ haven’t clicked as yet, the world class ability that each possess will pose a huge threat to the Chelsea backline.

*In part 2, which will be posted tomorrow, Chelsea’s coach Maurizio Sarri and his predicted XI will be examined.

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With Champions League football secured for next season, the Blues will hope to close out the Premier league campaign in style at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

Tactical Preview: Brendan Rodgers vs. Maurizio Sarri

In eleven games versus his old team, Chelsea, Leicester City boss, Brendan Rodgers has failed to win a single game, drawing 5 times, and losing 6 times. Still, this will be his first meeting against the Blues since taking over as the Foxes head coach.

It is difficult to predict how the Northern Ireland tactician will set his team up for this encounter since he excels at adjusting his tactics based on how the opposition sets out to play. If history is an indicator, however, he will line the team up in a 4-5-1 formation, which is what he fielded versus Manchester City last Monday. He chose this formation in order to combat Pep Guardiola’s 4-3-3 and it is expected that he will do the same to stifle Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri’s identical formation as well. Rodgers will invite Chelsea to play its possession-based football, while setting up opportunities for quick counter attacks.

While defending the football, the Foxes will remain organized at the back led by the leadership of veteran centre backs; Johnny Evans/Wes Morgan and Harry Maguire. Midfielders Hamza Choudhury and Wilfred Ndidi will provide additional cover for the team when needed and will form a pestering defensive wall in front of the back four. When the team is successful at dispossessing Chelsea, its midfielders will play quick passes out to wingers Marc Albrighton, and James Maddison, as well as, long through balls to striker, Jamie Vardy.

While controlling and maintaining possession of the football for significant periods of time, the East Midlands team will rely on patient build up play to open up the opposing defence. When this fails, the team will fall back on relying on quick switches of play to catch the Chelsea defence off guard. While playing this way, full backs, Ben Chillwell and Ricardo Pereira will join in on the attack with marauding runs from defence, and the pair will attempt to play pulled back crosses into the box.

In order to walk away from the King Power Stadium with all three points, Chelsea will need to get off to a quick start and be purposeful with possession of the football. Instead of playing with Hazard as a false 9 as the Italian tactician did in the reverse fixture, he should play the Belgian in his favoured left wing position while opting for striker, Gonzalo Higuain to lead the line. Doing this will accomplish two main things: 1) keeping possession focussed on the left side of the field will press attacking threat Ricardo Pereira to remain in his own half, and 2) due to Pereira’s tendency to join in on the attack while Leicester maintain possession, Evans/Morgan will be isolated while counter-attacking.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Chelsea should make three personnel changes to the team which played against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday: Cesar Azpilicueta, who has played in every league games this season will start his first league game of the season at centre-back due to injury to Andreas Chistensen, reserve right-back, Davide Zappacosta will earn his first league start of the season in place of Azpilicueta, Olivier Giroud will drop to the bench in favour of Gonzalo Higuain, and Pedro will start his twenty-first game of the season at right wing in place of Willian.

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Leicester City 2:

Chelsea will be hoping to draw the curtain on a successful season in style on Sunday, but fatigue will play a huge role in hindering that wish. The 120 gruelling minutes Chelsea played on Thursday will be on full display on Sunday, as the team will look leggy for the majority of 90 minutes. In addition to fatigue playing in Leicesters favour, the East Midlands team simply have more to play for in the final game of the season. From a financial standpoint, there is a difference of around 5 million pounds if the team finishes in 8th, as opposed to, 11th, whereas for Chelsea, the difference from finishing in 3rd, as opposed to, 4th is a mere 1 or 2 million pounds.

The Foxes will soak up any pressure the Blues may pose and will catch them off guard with its quick counter attacks. Maddison will cause problems for Zappacosta and Azpilicueta down Chelsea’s right side, and the midfielder along with Tielemans will provide key passes to Vardy. The Englishman will break the deadlock and add a second, which will bring his league tally for the season to 20. Eden Hazard will score a consolation goodbye goal from the penalty spot in his final league game for Chelsea, taking his tally to a personal Chelsea best of 17, and the Blues will still finish in third place due to Tottenham’s failure to get a result away to Everton.

With the advantage of an away goal, the Blues host Eintracht Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge, on Thursday in a pivotal semi-final second leg matchup in the UEFA Europa League.

Tactical analysis: Maurizio Sarri vs. Adi Hütter:

This season, under the guidance of coach Adi Hütter, Eintracht Frankfurt have lined up with some variation of a three man defence. In the first leg, in Germany, he opted to use a 3-5-1-1 formation, in order to facilitate the unavailability of strikers Sebastien Haller and Ante Rebić, who both missed the game to injury and suspension respectively.

On Thursday however, both players should be in contention for a starting berth, and as such, it is expected that Hütter will switch his formation to a 3-4-1-2 to allow for their inclusion in the squad. It is possible that all three players could be on the field at the same time, which will cause a lot of problems for Chelsea.

When defending, Eintracht Frankfurts three man defence reverts to a 5 man defence with the wide midfielders operating as wing-backs. The versatility of wing backs, Filip Kostic and Danny Da Costa, allows for the team to counter-attack with pace.

When on the offensive, utilizing a direct approach, the left centre-back and right centre-back split wide to facilitate passes to the midfielders and wing backs, while the lone centre back remains stagnant and attempts to utilize long through balls to the wide channels when possible.

All three strikers have an incredible understanding of one another which gives the team multiple attacking outlets. The trio’s versatility allows for each individual player to have the freedom to make central runs or drift wide, while simultaneously their counterpart takes up positions in the pockets of spaces, which are left open. The free-scoring trio work amazing in tandem and will be a massive handful for the Chelsea defenders for the entirety of 90 minutes.

Due to Frankfurts need to score at least one goal, the team should approach the game aggressively and directly. On the other side of the ball, Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri has a tendency to play a high defensive line and maintain possession of the football for long periods of time, which suit Frankfurts direct approach. The team will press Chelsea’s backline when it can and its direct style of play will force the Chelsea backline to remain deep.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup:

Chelsea should make 4 changes to the side which beat Watford 3-0 on Sunday. Marcos Alonso should drop to the bench in favour of Emerson Palmieri. After returning to full fitness Willian should replace Pedro. Matteo Kovacic should come in for the injured Ngolo Kante. And up front, tournament top-scorer, Olivier Giroud, will be preferred to Gonzalo Higuain to lead the line.

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (3-3 agg):

Eintracht Frankfurt will utilize an aggressive approach to the first 15 minutes of the game and will score an early goal through one of the returning strikers (Rebic or Haller). Caught off guard, Chelsea will try to answer back, but will quickly find themselves 2-0 down at half-time. Inspired by the amazing come from behind victories which took place in the Champions League this week, the Blues will attempt to complete a historic comeback as they score two unanswered goals, however, the crucial third goal will prove difficult, and Eintracht Frankfurt will advance to its first ever Europa League final on the away goals ruling.

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Chelsea FC will host Watford FC, at Stamford Bridge, on Sunday in the penultimate match of their Premier League season.

Tactical Analysis: Maurizio Sarri vs Javi Gracia:

Watford coach, Javi Gracia should lineup in a 4-2-2-2 formation for Sunday’s game. The Spanish tactician has opted to use this formation for most of the season because it provides two banks of four, which, in turn, frustrates teams on the defensive. Lining up this way also affords the teams wing backs space to drive forward and provide options on the wide-areas of the pitch while on the offensive.

On the defensive, Watford tend to be active in pressing the opposing team. Rather than sitting tight, however, the team presses gradually forward. This allows it’s players to take up attacking positions in the field quickly once the ball is successfully turned over. Pressing the opposing team gradually also forces the opposing team into playing long-balls or take risky passes in its own half.

When the team is on the offensive, its wing backs support the box-to-box midfield two, of Abdoulaye Doucouré and Étienne Capoue, which, in turn, allows for its two offensive midfielders, Roberto Pereyra and Will Hughes to drift central. The space afforded to both offensive midfielders allow them to take up positions in all areas of the field and they try to exploit the opposing teams defence through creative passing and precise link up play with the centre forward pairing of Troy Deeny and Gerard Deulofeu. In periods where the is struggling to retain possession of the football, Gracia switches his tactics to a long-ball approach, whereby its centre forwards make runs in behind the defence or hold up possession, until support arrives.

Due to Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri’s tendency to play a high defensive line and maintain possession of the football for long periods, the Hornets style of play will undoubtedly frustrate the Blues. From a personnel perspective, Chelsea’s 4-3-3 formation will allow Watford to win the midfield battle as the team will always have one more midfielder in the centre of the park. Chelsea’s possession-based football will force Watford into its long-ball approach, which will also keep the Blues backline honest for the duration of 90 minutes.

Predicted Chelsea lineup:

Chelsea should make four changes to the team which drew 1-1 in Frankfurt on Thursday. Emerson Palmieri should drop to the bench in favour of the in-form, Marcos Alonso, who has scored 3 goals and registered 2 assists in his last five games for the Blues. Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be rested ahead of a daunting second leg tie against Eintracht Frankfurt on the agenda, on Thursday. And up front, Eden Hazard, will return to the starting lineup after a well-deserved rest in place of Willian, while Gonzalo Higuain should be preferred to Olivier Giroud to lead the line.

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Watford 1

As the home team, Chelsea should start the game aggressively on the front foot. An early goal from the well-rested Belgian ace, Eden Hazard will calm the nerves at Stamford Bridge as echos of “The Champions” are heard in the distance. Watford will answer back either through a well taken set-piece or long-ball finding Gerard Deulofeu, before the soon-to-be Chelsea legend, Hazard, pops up with the winning goal that vaults his club into third place in the league. Ironically for the club, however, it will be the Belgian’s first and last time wearing the 2019/2020 home jersey, as he walks off the Stamford Bridge pitch for the final time, reminiscing on the wonderful memories he has made in Chelsea blue.

The Blues head to Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, for the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

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The favourite: Chelsea FC

Chelsea are the slight favourites on paper in this matchup mainly due to the clubs previous experience in major European competitions. Since 2003/04, only Barcelona FC can match Chelsea’s nine major European semi-finals appearances.

The underdog: Eintracht Frankfurt

The German side are underdogs in this matchup due to the clubs lack of experience in major European competition. This will be The Eagles first major European semi-final appearance since 79/80, when they won the UEFA Cup.

3 major talking points:

A historic encounter:

This will be the first ever encounter between the two clubs, still, history is on Chelsea’s side against German opposition, as the club has lost just one of their last 10 games in all European competitions against German sides. Conversely, in Frankfurt’s only match versus English opposition, it lost.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Prominent Home Form:

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When playing at the Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt has lost just five times in all competitions this season. In the 10 home games played in the Europa League this season, the team has won eight times and drawn twice. Additionally, the Eagles have not trailed for a single minute in any of those games.

Mounting Injury Concerns for Both Teams:

Major injuries to key players for both sides overshadow this marquee matchup. Missing for Frankfurt will be French forward, Sebastien Haller, who is dealing with an abdominal injury. His absence will be a major blow to the Eagles as he has scored 5 goals and registered 3 assists in the 9 appearances he has made in the competition this season. Midfielder, Mijat Gacinovic is also a doubt to miss the encounter due to a muscle injury, though manager, Adi Hütter remains hopeful he will recover in time to suit up for the game.

After undergoing surgery for a knee injury sustained in Sunday’s game against Manchester United, Chelsea defender, Antonio Rudiger will not only miss this matchup, but also the rest of the season. Joining Rudiger in the stands, will be winger, Callum Hudson- Odoi, who is also out for the season with a ruptured achilles. The wingers absence will be a major blow to the Blues as his form in the competition has been brilliant (4 goals and 2 assists in 4 starts) this season. Chelsea winger, Willian, is also in danger of missing Thursday’s game after manager Maurizio Sarri stated: “Willian at the moment is in trouble but I think it is only a knock so we can try to recover him,”

Tactical Analysis: Adi Hütter vs Maurizio Sarri

Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri will continue to develop his “Sarrismo” style of play, and as such, will line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Chelsea should have more possession than Frankfurt over the 90 minutes, but if the team are not able to create chances and put the ball in the back of the net it will all be for naught.

Chelsea’s possession-reliant football should be beneficial to the oppositions game-plan. Under coach Adi Hütter, Einracht Frankfurt play counter-attacking football, whereby once possession of the football is gained, the ball is forced forward to attacking areas.

The Eagles tend to lineup with a three-in-the-back defence and generally utilize a 3-4-1-2 formation. The four midfield personnel consists of two wide midfielders that serve as wing-backs and two central midfielders that form a double-pivot. Up front is where the magic happens as two strikers and a central attacking midfielder (CAM) are utilized. Generally the front three consists of the free-scoring trio of Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic, and Ante Rebic, but due to injury to Haller and suspension for Rebic, Jovic will be a lone figure on Thursday. Gacinovic, if fit, will slot in as the CAM in place of Rebic, and Gonçalo Paciência will likely make his first start in the competition in place of Haller.

Predicted Lineup:

Chelsea:

The team should make four changes to the side which drew 1-1 away to Manchester United on Sunday. Andreas Christensen is expected to come in for the injured Antonio Rudiger, Matteo Kovacic is expected to be replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek following a poor showing by the Croatian over the weekend, Pedro should replace Willian, who was on the wrong end of a nasty challenge over the weekend, while tournament top scorer, Olivier Giroud should get the call over Gonzalo Higuain, who Sarri has preferred in the Premier League.

Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt 1 Chelsea 0

Chelsea should dominate possession in this encounter, but a quick counter-attacking approach from Frankfurt will prove difficult for Chelsea’s backline and Jorginho. The presence of the home support, and by extension, the Frankfurt Ultras, will prove to be a handful for the Blues over 90 minutes. Still, with major injury concerns to key players for both teams, a Luka Jovic strike will be the difference in the first leg , as Chelsea will head back to Stamford Bridge in a weeks time with it all to do.

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The Blues travel to Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday to take on Manchester United in a pivotal Premier League matchup in the race for a top-4 finish.

The Favourite: Push

There is no clear favourite in this fixture as both teams have an equal opportunity to walk away with all three points. Chelsea sit in 4th place coming into the game (could be 5th if Arsenal beat Leicester City tomorrow), while United occupy the 6th position in the table.

In the Premier League era, Chelsea has won the game 18 games, United has won 15, and the match has drawn 20 times.

3 talking points:

Ole’s Wheels are Running Flat:

Since Manchester United signed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to a permanent contract on March 28th, the Reds have gone on a poor run of form winning just 2 games and losing 3.

The Pedro vs. Willian Conundrum:

Callum Hudson Odoi’s injury in mid-week opens the door for Pedro or Willian to stake their claim on the right wing for Chelsea. Both players will not only be playing for a place till the end of the season, but perhaps an extension beyond that.

Both players stats to date:

Pedro:
Mins played: 1595
Goals: 8
Assists: 1
199 mins per goal, 1595 mins per assist.
Willian:
Mins played: 1956
Goals 3
Assists 6
652 mins per goal, 326 mins per assist.

Ngolo Kanté’s Fitness:

As of yesterday, Ngolo Kanté’s fitness remains a massive concern for Chelsea. The midfielder injured his ribs against Burnley on Monday and is a serious doubt to miss only his second match in the league this season. Speaking in yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri stated: “We are trying to recover Kanté, but I am not sure at the moment,” when asked about the players availability for Sundays match. With no like-for-like replacement in the squad, Matteo Kovacic will make his 20th start this season in place of the French international. Though Kovacic is better on the ball than Kanté, he is miles behind in the defensive phase of the game. For comparison, Kanté has averaged 2.1 tackles and 1.2 interceptions in the league this season, as opposed to Kovacic’ 1.3 tackles and 0.3 interceptions.

Tactical analysis: Maurizio Sarri vs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:

Both managers are well aware that a draw will do their teams no good in the lead up to the Premier League finish, so it is expected that both tacticians will go into this matchup with an attack-first mindset.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri will again line up in a 4-3-3 formation as he has done for the entire 2018/19 campaign, however, injuries to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ngolo Kanté will force the Italian into making changes at right wing and right centre midfield. The Italian will continue to impose his “Sarrismo” style of play and will look to dominate possession of the football early and often.

Conversely, Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has been tactically flexible this season playing 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, and 5-3-2 formations at different points in the season. In the previous encounter, at Stamford Bridge, Solskjaer played a 4-2-3-1 formation, yet, it is expected that the Norwegian manager will opt for his preferred attacking 4-3-3 formation for this home match in an attempt to match Chelsea’s personnel.

Solskjaer will ask a lot of his team for the entirety of 90 minutes as he will force his players to remain compact (see below). Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling will maintain a high defensive line in an attempt to transition from defence to attack in quick succession.

The United front three will consist of right winger, Jesse Lingard, striker, Marcus Rashford, and left winger, Anthony Martial and the trio will provide pace on the wings and through the middle. Paul Pogba will push forward in a no.10 role to assist the front three when he can and will keep Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga honest with attempted long shots from distance. The majority of United attacks will come down the left channel through the link up play of left-back Luke Shaw, Pogba and Martial in an attempt to crowd the left-hand side of the field, this in turn, will leave Lingard with plenty of space to exploit on the right hand side and United will attempt to exploit that area of the field through switching play quickly.

Due to Sarri’s tendency to force possession down the left hand side of the field with Eden Hazard, Ruben Loftus Cheek, and Emerson, it is likely that Lingard will find himself in favourable positions. Rather than forcing his wing backs up the field, Solskjaer might ask them to sit back in order to counter the threat of Chelsea’s wingbacks Emerson, and to a lesser extent, Azpilicueta from making overlapping runs.

Predicted lineups:

Chelsea:

Chelsea should make three changes to the side that drew at Burnley on Monday. Andreas Christensen will drop to the bench in favour of Antonio Rudiger, who should be near full-fitness, Matteo Kovacic will slot in on the right hand side of midfield for the injured Ngolo Kanté, while either Willian or Pedro will start at right wing for the injured Callum Hudson Odoi. While Pedro has scored more goals than Willian this season, his away form has been poor, in comparison to the Brazilian’s.

Manchester United:

Manchester United should make three changes to the side that lost to Manchester City on Wednesday. To facilitate the switch of a 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3, Matteo Darmian will drop to the bench in favour of Anthony Martial, Ander Herrera’s return to fitness will relegate Fred to the bench, while Nemanja Matic’ defensive abilities will be preferred to Andreas Pereira on the right side of midfield.

Prediction: Manchester United 2 Chelsea 3

Though Manchester United hasn’t scored a goal in open play in 572 minutes, I believe it is the Reds that will strike first through Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford on the counter-attack. An early United lead will force Chelsea into playing its best football of the season as the team storms back with three unanswered goals from Hazard, Gonzalo Higuain, and Kovacic. A late Paul Pogba goal will give United a glimmer of hope, but hard-nosed defending from the Chelsea contingent will see Chelsea through by a narrow margin. All things considered, it will be a must-watch game and a contender for game of the season.

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On the back of a disheartening 2-0 loss away to Liverpool in the Premier League last Sunday, Chelsea FC welcome Burnley FC to Stamford Bridge on Monday night in a must-win Premier League game for the Blues.

The favourite: Chelsea FC

Coming into this encounter Chelsea currently occupies 5th place in the table with 66 points. The London team will be favourited by the bookies in this fixture due to a combination of league position and the insurmountable pressure that is on the club to walk away with a result. History also favours the Blues in this fixture as the club has won 6 games, drawn 2 and lost once.

The underdog: Burnley FC

After a run of three consecutive victories, Burnley FC sit eight points adrift from a relegation spot in 15th place on 39 points. If the team wins this game it will secure survival for next seasons Premier League season.

3 major talking points:

Stamford Bridge turns claret and blue for a day:

Had this been any other season, this home fixture would be penned down as an easy win for Chelsea, however, the last time these two teams played at Stamford Bridge, the Clarets ran out 3-2 winners in a shocking display from the then defending champions, Chelsea, on the opening day of the 2017/18 season.

Since that result, Chelsea has played Burnley twice with both ties being played away from home. In the ensuing away fixture in the 17/18 season the Blues won 2-1, and in its most recent encounter this season, the team won 4-0 at Turf Moor.

Eden Hazard’s Injury Concern:

Eden Hazard has been in scintillating form this season for Chelsea accounting for 28% of the teams goals this season. He’ll face a tough race for fitness, however, after picking up a knock against Slavia Prague, on Thursday, in the UEFA Europa League. Described by Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri as a “strong knock”, the Belgian winger has just three days to get fit for Monday’s matchup.

According to Belgian journalist, Kristof Terreur, Hazard, got a proper beating from the opposing teams players, yet with no structural damage reported, he should be ok to suit up on Monday.

An Opportunity to Gain Ground on the Rest of the Pack:

It was a perfect week for Chelsea as the other three teams fighting for the final two UEFA Champions League Qualification spots; Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Manchester United, lost. Spurs fell to league leaders Manchester City 1-0, Manchester United lost 4-0 away to Everton, and Arsenal were on the wrong result of a 3-2 loss at home to Crystal Palace. If Chelsea win on Monday, the team will move to third place in the table on 69 points, albeit, with one more game played than its contenders.

Tactical Analysis: Maurizio Sarri vs. Sean Dyche:

Burnley manager Sean Dyche experienced ‘Sarrismo’ in full effect when his team were on the wrong result of a 4-0 drubbing at home on match-day 10 this season, Chelsea’s biggest ever result playing away to Burnley. Dyche had no answer for Chelsea on that day, but, he would’ve learned a lot about Sarri’s style of play.

Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, will continue to enforce that same style of play on Monday, meaning Chelsea will undoubtedly line up in a 4-3-3 formation and stick to his possession-based football.

Burnley manager, Sean Dyche, on the other hand, has since changed the formation and personnel of the side that were embarrassed at home earlier in the season. The English manager has tweaked his usual 4-4-1-1 formation, which he opted for in the earlier fixture, to a ‘flatter’ 4-4-2 formation, preferring two strikers on top as opposed to one.

The core game-plan for the Clarets will still be to defend deep and frustrate the opposing team, however, the strike partnership of Ashley Barnes and Christopher Wood has added a more clinical element to the type of football Dyche employs.

The Lancashire club will try to capitalize on set-pieces and the goal scoring threat of its strikers, yet, the sole focus for Dyche will be to stay organized and narrow at the back. This will will invite Chelsea to play on the wings and Burnley will force them into making crosses into the box.

What Chelsea Must Focus on to Get a Win:

Burnley will invite Chelsea’s players to send crosses into the box because the defensive partnership of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee are skilled at defending these type of situations. The pair has a combined for 232 headed clearances (evidenced below) coming into this game and the pairing are one of the main reasons why Dyche’s system works so well.

Instead of forcing its players into crossing balls into the box, Chelsea should encourage its wingers to cut in from wide positions and either shoot when it is favourable to do so, or play in through balls to other players making overlapping runs in behind the Burnley defence.

Burnley’s underrated duo:

Though Christopher Wood and Ashley Barnes share the plaudits for Burnley, spearheading the frontline, it is the duo of Wood and English youngster, Dwight McNeil, who are the true threats. The underrated youngster has assisted 4 of Chris Wood’s 10 League goals, despite only starting 16 games this season and has also chipped in with 3 goals of his own and an additional assist.

McNeil’s contribution has gained him a WhoScored.com rating better than any other player aged 21 and under in the Premier League this season (with 5 or more appearances). He’s been on a tear as of late scoring 2 and assisting one in his last 4 fixtures.

Predicted lineups:

Chelsea FC:

It is expected that Maurizio Sarri will make four changes to the side that won on Thursday. With Antonio Rudiger still not fully fit, the backline should stay the same, yet there is still the possibility that Marcos Alonso returns to the squad in place of Emerson Palmieri, after being deemed fit. Jorginho will unquestionably return to the starting 11 in his ‘regista’ role, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek will come in for Ross Barkley, who played on Thursday. Eden Hazard will be a shoo-in to start assuming he is healthy, while Gonzalo Higuain and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start in place of Olivier Giroud and Pedro respectively.

Burnley FC:

Prediction: Chelsea 2 Burnley 1. MOTM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

With the pressure on Chelsea to pull off a result, the team could struggle mightily in this fixture to walk away with all three points, still, if Sarri selects the right personnel and approaches the match from an aggressive standpoint, rather than playing conservative, Chelsea could win big.

Burnley will sit back for long periods of the game and force its full backs narrow to prevent the middle of the field from being opened up. This style of play will fall into Chelsea’s favour as its wingers will exploit the space on the wings and eventually break the deadlock. Burnley will answer back through a set piece or a goal from open play, but Chelsea will ultimately win by the ‘skin of their teeth’ late in the game.

Chelsea FC face a difficult road test away to Liverpool on Sunday in a pivotal matchup for both teams. The encounter will have major implications for both the title race and the race for the final two Champions League qualification spots.

The favourite: Liverpool FC

League position will dictate Liverpool being the favourited team in this matchup as the club currently occupies first place in the Premier League (albeit with one game played more than Manchester City). The Reds have also been on an incredible run of form in the league this season, winning 25 games, drawing 7, and losing just once to title-contenders Manchester City.

Following a disappointing stalemate away to city rival, Everton FC, the club has bounced back, winning four consecutive league matches. Since the league title is on the line for Liveprool, there’s far more riding on this match for them than Chelsea.

The underdog: Chelsea FC

Currently sitting in third place in the league, Chelsea are the underdog in this matchup. The club has experienced a turbulent season resulting in 20 wins, 6 draws, and 7 losses thus far. However, in spite of the clubs inconsistencies, the Blues have restored a sense of pride coming off the back of three consecutive league wins. The team will be hoping to get a result, which will put them in a position to secure qualification for next seasons UEFA Champions League.

3 Major Talkings Points:

The “You’ll Never Walk Alone” factor:

Liverpool are unbeaten in its last 37 games at their home ground of Anfield FC. The incredible feat places the club joint-second (with Manchester City) for the longest unbeaten streak in league history, and their historic run trails only Chelsea, which won 86 straight home league games from 2004-2008.

History favours the Blues:

In what will be the 54th meeting (in the Premier League era) between the two powerhouses of English football, Chelsea hold the edge in the encounter having registered 20 wins to Liverpool’s 19. The game has ended in a draw on 14 occasions.

Recent history also favours the Blues to get a result at Anfield, as the club has managed 2 wins and 4 draws in their last six matchups at the stadium. In their most recent encounter at Anfield the Blues ran away 2-1 winners in the English League Cup (Carabao Cup) this season. Additionally, In both home and away matchups, Chelsea have not lost to Liverpool since September 2016.

The ‘big six’ Away Factor:

The elephant in the room surrounding Chelsea this season is the clubs away form against ‘big six’ opponents. The Blues have lost their last five away games in the league against ‘big six’ (Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs, Arsenal, Manchester United) opponents. Three of those losses have come this season as the Blues suffered a 2-0 away defeat to Arsenal, a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, and an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Tactical Analysis: Jurgen Klopp vs. Maurizio Sarri:

From a tactical standpoint this has the billing of a ‘game of the season’ contender. Chelsea’s manager, Maurizio Sarri and Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, both play free-flowing football, which will make for an open encounter.

Both teams will likely lineup in a 4-3-3 formation with the one key difference being that Liverpool will favour a more balanced approach while maintaining possession of the football, as opposed to Chelsea trying to exploit the wide areas of the field.

Both teams should share the ball evenly throughout the entirety of the game, but it would not be a shock to see Liverpool concede possession to Chelsea early on on in the game to force Chelsea into ‘Sarrismo’ football in an attempt to counter attack with the pace of their front 3.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup: Kepa, Emerson, Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Higuain, Hudson-Odoi. Subs: Caballero, Christensen, Barkley, Kovacic, Pedro, Willian, Giroud.

How Chelsea Can Get a Result:

Chelsea will be able to walk away from this matchup with points if the team can force the ball quickly to wingers, Eden Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Since Liverpool’s full-backs, Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew ‘Andy’ Robertson have a tendency to drive forward, Chelsea must put immense pressure on them, especially down the left-flank by allowing their wingers to sit on the halfway line and wait for quick through balls to play them in behind the Liverpool defence.

Ideally, Higuain should play a facilitator role and occupy the pockets outside of the box rather than inside. The reason behind this thinking is that Liverpool’s defensive pairing of Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip have been at their most vulnerable when they have been forced to drive toward the opposing teams centre-forward. Forcing the defenders forward will also create more space for the Chelsea wingers to be played in through the use of through balls.

On the other side of the ball, Ngolo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek must put in a shift defensively to assist Cesar Azpilicueta and Emerson, respectfully. The pairs must work in tandem in order to stop Liverpool’s high-flying wingers, Sadio Mané and Mohammed Salah from getting the ball in midfield. Closing the channels, which the two wingers occupy in the midfield, will be critical to getting a result.

Additionally, Kante should occupy a deeper role to frustrate the Liverpool midfield and win the ball back for the Blues. This will both allow Chelsea to play quickly on the break after dispossessing Liverpool’s midfielders and also stop the Reds attacks before they can develop.

How Liverpool Will Try to Exploit the Blues Weaknesses:

Teams that have found success against Chelsea have done so by disrupting the flow of the teams ‘Sarrismo’ style of play. Liverpool will try to follow this trend by frustrating the orchestrator of ‘Sarrismo’, Jorginho Frello. The team will attempt to do so by placing one of their midfielders on the Italian for the entirety of 90 minutes. It is likely that Jurgen Klopp will turn to Georginio Wijnaldum to be the thorn in Jorginho’s side for 90 minutes. While this is the likely suitor for the task, it should not be surprising to see Naby Keita tasked with this role in order to force pressure down the right side of Chelsea, in an attempt to exploit Callum Hudson Odoi’s lack of defensive awareness.

Mohammed Salah vs. Emerson Palmieri

Mohammed Salah will relish the opportunity to play against a fellow teammate and friend, Emerson Palmieri. And though Emerson may know Salah’s tendencies from their short stint together at AS Roma, defending Salah will be the toughest task of his career.

Coming into the matchup the Egyptian winger has scored 19 goals for the Reds this season and has registered 7 assists. Emerson, on the other hand, has started just 5 league games for the Blues, playing against ‘top six’ opposition in the league just twice (Tottenham Hotspurs, & Manchester City). This lack of significant game time, coupled with the fact that Hazard and Loftus-Cheek will be in Liverpool’s half for most of the game, could leave the Blues severely exposed at the back.

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1. MOTM: Eden Hazard

Liverpool will allow Chelsea to set the pace of the game early on by conceding possession to the Blues. Disrupting the flow of ‘Sarrismo’ and incorporating a high pressing style will force the Chelsea midfielders into making mistakes. One of these mistakes will cost Chelsea a goal, however, the brilliance of Eden Hazard will come into play as it did in the EFL cup. The Belgian will carry his team to a shock 1-1 result as he continues his scintillating form on his way to helping the team secure Champions League football before he departs for Madrid.