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James To Start, Loftus Cheek And Kante On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Face Everton
The most pleasing thing is not necessarily the results but the performances have been very good, which seems to suggest that Potter is finally getting his message across to the players.
This weekend’s game against Everton is an excellent chance to build on recent displays, but it still could be a tough game, with the Toffees coming into the match off the back of a confidence-boosting victory against Brentford.
Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting lineup for Saturday’s fixture.
The Spaniard had an up and down game against Leicester last weekend. He made some decent saves, particularly in the first half.
However, once again, a long-range shot got the better of Kepa, which is clearly one of the main weaknesses in his game. Kalidou Koulibaly did obstruct his view but he could have done better. Similarly, he failed to deal with a corner in the second half, which could have led to a goal.
With Edouard Mendy now back in full training, the Blues’ current number one will know he’ll need to be at this best in upcoming matches to retain his position.
The 23-year-old missed the trip to the King Power Stadium due to illness so he should be back in contention for Saturday’s game.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek did a solid, if not spectacular, job of filling in for James but Potter is expected to recall the wingback this weekend.
It really has been a stop-start campaign for the England international, and he will be aiming to stay 100% fit for the rest of the season.
The Frenchman put in yet another decent performance against the Foxes, and he certainly didn’t allow the boos to affect him as he returned to his old club.
Fofana could have added another goal to his name, only for his header to be saved by Leicester keeper Danny Ward. He is a big threat from set pieces, and that is somewhat surprising considering he had only scored three goals in his career before moving to Stamford Bridge.
With every passing game, the £75m spent on the 22-year-old is looking more and more justified. The key for him, of course, is to stay fit.
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
The Senegalese international had a good game at the King Power, delivering an excellent assist for Ben Chilwell’s opener, but there are some question marks about his defending in the build-up to Daka’s goal.
There is no doubt that Koulibaly is finding it easier to play in the middle of a back three but you can’t see him keeping his place when Thiago Silva returns.
For the time being, though, the 31-year-old is doing his job well and putting in a shift for his team.
CB – Marc Cucurella
The Spaniard showed that his performance in the Champions League against Dortmund was not a one-off last weekend.
Cucurella wasn’t able to keep Kelechi Iheanacho quiet throughout the entire game, but he did enough to help close down attacks on his side of the pitch.
Benoit Badiashile has hardly put a foot wrong when he has been given opportunities so there is good competition between the Frenchman and Cucurella for the left-sided centre-back position.
LWB – Ben Chilwell
It’s fair to say that Potter may not be in a job now without the wingback’s contributions over the past few games.
Chilwell created the winner against the Leeds, as well playing his part in the build-up for the two goals versus Dortmund. In the Leicester match, he scored with a fantastic volley and defended stoutly.
As with Fofana and James, the key for the 26-year-old is to maintain his fitness. Chelsea are a much better team when he is on the pitch.
CM – Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian international is very much back to his best, and he played an integral role in securing the three points against the Foxes last weekend.
Kovacic took his goal superbly but it was his all-round game that really stood out, and he will be keen to take that form into the Everton game on Saturday.
The Toffees are pretty strong in the middle of the park, with Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure all very influential, so Kovacic’s performance will be crucial.
CM – Enzo Fernandez
The Argentine’s delightful chip pass for Kai Havertz’s goal was the highlight of his performance versus Leicester.
However, most of Fernandez’s work was done in deeper-lying areas at the King Power, controlling possession and dictating play in midfield.
It will be interesting to see how the 22-year-old copes with the physical test he will face at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
RW – Kai Havertz
The German took his goal expertly against Leicester and he seems to be playing with a confidence that has been lacking for most of the season.
Havertz has now scored in consecutive games for only the second time this campaign, and he will be looking to build on that this weekend.
Everton have conceded six goals in their last two away fixtures so there should be gaps for Havertz to exploit.
ST – Mykhailo Mudryk
The Ukrainian was selected out of position through the middle by Potter versus the Foxes, and he did get an assist for Kovacic’s goal.
Mudryk still doesn’t look fully up to speed, though, and he may only keep his place if Potter decides not to make too many changes after winning last time out.
Christian Pulisic could be considered as an alternative for ther Everton match, along with Hakim Ziyech, so we shall see if Mudryk is given another opportunity to impress.
LW – Joao Felix
The Portuguese international was hauled off at half-time last weekend so there is a chance that he will be benched on Saturday.
However, Felix does offer a spark in attack that Chelsea’s other forwards lack so Potter may decide to keep faith in the 23-year-old for now.
Consistency is his main problem, but his poor work rate is also something that has to be addressed. His carelessness when giving the ball away before Daka’s equaliser was unacceptable.
Sports News
Michael Carrick singles out one Chelsea player following the 6-1 defeat, but the national media disagrees
Chelsea smashed six goals past the Championship team as they booked their spot in next month’s Carabao Cup final.
The Blues trailed 1-0 from the first-leg, but the Premier League side made no mistake in Tuesday’s second-leg.
Chelsea took the lead through a Jonny Howson own-goal, with Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer scoring before the break.
Palmer bagged his second goal of the night to add his side’s fifth as Noni Madueke completed the rout.
After the match, Manchester United legend Carrick spoke glowingly about Palmer, calling him a ‘real talent’ in high praise.
“He is a real talent. Nice lad as well. Down to Earth and you can see when you come up against him he will go on to have a great career. It’s not nice when you are on the end of it but we can appreciate and respect how good he is,” he said via The Mirror.
Mauricio Pochettino echoed Carrick’s sentiment and hailed the 21-year-old’s ability to play anywhere in the forward line.
“He is a player with an amazing talent. It is a player that understands the game. He has the quality and the talent to see the situation and to read the game in another aspect,” he added.
“He can play from the right, striker or in behind the striker. We try to give him freedom because in this type of game he can find the best position to help the team. For me, [the best part] is when he presses and then the intuition to get the ball back.”
Palmer, who joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Manchester City last summer, has been in brilliant form this season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions.
However, the national media picked out another Chelsea star as Matt Law of The Telegraph wrote about Ben Chilwell’s importance.
“What a difference a left-back makes. This was not just Ben Chilwell’s first start since September, it was the first time he started in his preferred position all season,” he said.
“And how Chelsea have missed him. Wearing the captain’s armband, Chilwell looked like he had never been away and sent a message to Mauricio Pochettino to give up on playing him as a winger.”
Chilwell started his first game for four months as he starred on the left-hand side in Chelsea’s victory over Boro.
The 27-year-old has only managed nine appearances in all competitions this season, having been blighted with injuries.
Sports News
Victor Osimhen breaks silence on his future amid Chelsea and Arsenal striker transfer hunt
The latest Chelsea and Arsenal transfer news as the striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League after impressing for Napoli.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has said that his full concentration is on helping Nigeria go as far as they can in the Africa Cup of Nations amid talk over his future.
Arsenal and Chelsea are among the teams to have been linked with an interest in the 25-year-old. football.london understands that Chelsea wanted to sign Osimhen in the summer , but Napoli’s reluctance to part ways with the player meant that attention was turned to Nicolas Jackson instead.
Mikel Arteta is likely to want to add to his striking options when the summer transfer window opens. Osimhen has been touted as a potential target.
The striker’s contract with Napoli expires in 2025, meaning that the summer could be one of the last chances that Napoli have to get a decent fee for the player if he doesn’t sign a new deal with the club. That has led to speculation that he could be on the move sooner rather than later.
Osimhen is currently on international duty with Nigeria who have secured their place in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s while representing his country that he addressed the talk over his future.
“I have to respect my contract,” he told the Guardian. “Whatever happens in the summer everybody will know. For now I am at the Afcon and I am focused on that.”
Osimhem’s goalscoring record for Napoli makes it no surprise that he continues to be linked with a transfer away from the club. Since joining from Lille in the summer of 2020 he has scored 67 times in 119 appearances for the club.
So far this season, he has scored eight times in 18 appearances in all competitions. The striker’s international record is even more impressive with him finding the net 20 times in 27 appearances for Nigeria, including the equaliser in the nation’s 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in their opening AFCON game.
Sports News
Chelsea’s next five fixtures compared to Man United, Tottenham and Aston Villa in top four race
The latest Chelsea news as we take a closer look at the fixtures on the horizon for Mauricio Pochettino’s men as they look to climb the Premier League table.
Chelsea booked their place in the Carabao Cup final on Tuesday night as they came from behind to comfortably beat Championship side Millwall.
Michael Carrick’s side were leading 1-0 after the first leg at the Riverside Stadium, but Chelsea quickly settled any nerves that may have been around in the stands at Stamford Bridge. An early own goal by Jonny Howson was followed by strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, and Cole Palmer to put Chelsea 4-0 up on the night at half time.
It got better in the second half as Palmer scored his second of the game before Noni Madueke made it 6-0. Middlesbrough grabbed a consolation through Morgan Rogers in the 88th minute.
After booking their place at Wembley eyes now turn to the upcoming fixtures in both the Cup and the Premier League. Chelsea sit in ninth place in the table, 12 points off a top-four spot, a good run of form could see that gap quickly close before the end of the season.
As well as fixtures ahead of Chelsea, eyes could be on who others around them in the table are taking on. With that in mind football.london has taken a look at the next five fixtures coming up for Chelsea and the other clubs looking towards the top four and the European places.
Aston Villa (H) 26 January (FA Cup)
Liverpool (A) January 31
The most difficult fixture of the run, on paper, with Liverpool currently leading the Premier League table. Jurgen Klopp’s side are four points clear of Man City in second, but Pep Guardiola’s team do have a game in hand.
The reverse fixture back in August finished in a 1-1 draw. Axel Disasi equalised in the first half after Luis Diaz’s opener.
Wolves (H) February 4
Chelsea don’t have long to wait to try and avenge the Boxing Day loss against Wolves. Goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty saw the Blues fall to a 2-1 loss with Christopher Nkunku grabbing a 96th-minute goal.
Wolves have been praised for their performances under Gary O’Neil so far this season. They sit in 11th place, three points behind Chelsea in the table.
Crystal Palace (A) February 12
Crystal Palace are a team struggling to find their form with pressure growing on manager Roy Hodgson. They fell to a 5-0 loss against Arsenal in their last outing, leaving them in 15th place in the Premier League table, five points clear of the bottom three.
Noni Madueke’s 89th-minute penalty saw Chelsea come out as 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture on December 27.
Man City (A) February 17
Another difficult game on paper for Chelsea as Man City look to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table. The reverse fixture back in November was a memorable one for fans of both clubs as well as neutrals.
Cole Palmer’s 97th-minute penalty saw the game end in a 4-4 draw. Chelsea came from behind on three occasions to take a point.
Manchester United fixtures (current position 8th, 32 points)
Newport County (A) 28 January (FA Cup)
Wolves (A) 1 February
West Ham (H) 4 February
Aston Villa (A) 11 February
Luton Town (A) 18 February
Brighton fixtures (current position 7th, 32 points)
Sheffield United (A) 27 January (FA Cup)
Luton Town (A) 30 January
Crystal Palace (H) 3 February
Tottenham (A) 10 February
Sheffield United (A) 18 February
West Ham fixtures (current position 6th, 35 points)
Bournemouth (H) 1 February
Man United (A) 4 February
Arsenal (H) 11 February
Nottingham Forest (A) 17 February
Brentford (H) 26 February
Tottenham fixtures (current position 5th, 40 points)
Man City (H) 26 January (FA Cup)
Brentford (H) 31 January
Everton (A) 3 February
Brighton (H) 10 February
Wolves (H) 17 February
Aston Villa fixtures (current position 4th, 43 points)
Chelsea (A) 26 January (FA Cup)
Newcastle (H) 30 January
Sheffield United (A) 3 February
Man United (H) 11 February
Fulham (A) 17 February
Michael Carrick singles out one Chelsea player following the 6-1 defeat, but the national media disagrees
Victor Osimhen breaks silence on his future amid Chelsea and Arsenal striker transfer hunt
Chelsea’s next five fixtures compared to Man United, Tottenham and Aston Villa in top four race
Confirmed Chelsea line up vs Newcastle : Palmer, Jackson, Sterling Start as Nkunku seat on the bench
