Chelsea (A) - Sun 12th Nov, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Legal Alien]

Good news on both.
I hope John can get back quickly, having the international break helps in his case.

 

[NikT]

I think the team will be Ederson, Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Walker, Rodri, Bernardo, Alvarez, Grealish, Haaland, Foden. Ake might start over Gvardiol. Doku will come on as a super sub.

 

[Axel Freed]

thats cos liverpool didnt play like lunatics and sat back and defended as a group, its quite easy to look effective when a team gives you half the pitch to run into, i think chelsea winning by that margin had much more to do with the way spurs set out to play than how chelsea did.

Maybe. But didn’t it also have more to do with the way Neville was wanking himself off on co comms when Son nearly equalised and people using that to criticise Chelsea.

End of the day the result doesn’t have an asterisk next to it and an explanation of what happened it just shows a 4-1 away win and that’s a damn good result

 

[Axel Freed]

Good news on both.
I hope John can get back quickly, having the international break helps in his case.

Spot on. For once there’s a positive aspect to an international break.

 

[Legal Alien]

The usual arrogance and over-confidence on here. Who is our speedy left back able to keep up with Sterling in his current form? We will concede at least two counter-attack goals so I am predicting 2-3.

I don't get why predicting us to win against an average Chelsea side can be perceived as arrogance or over-confidence, to be honest.

We support the best team in the country and Europe, a team coached by the best manager in the world. The team's results and performances since Pep's been here have earn't us the right to be confident in whoever we play!

Even though we've had top players leave, our best player has been injured all season and we haven't hit the heights of previous seasons, we are still a great team and i don't see a team who is better than us this season, at home or abroad.
That isn't arrogance, that's a fact to me with what i've seen with my own eyes!

As for who's marking Sterling, i would play Ake and Gvardiol on the left. I think him and Palmer have been their best players this season, so if we stop the supply from them, i don't see them hurting us.

More to the point though who on their team can keep up with Foden, Bernie, Alvarez and Erling, to name a few?

I think we win this comfortably, 3-1.

 

[TinFoilHat]

The usual arrogance and over-confidence on here. Who is our speedy left back able to keep up with Sterling in his current form? We will concede at least two counter-attack goals so I am predicting 2-3.

Raheem gonna Raheem

 

[Chi-town blues]

The usual arrogance and over-confidence on here. Who is our speedy left back able to keep up with Sterling in his current form? We will concede at least two counter-attack goals so I am predicting 2-3.

 

[big gaz]

Maybe. But didn’t it also have more to do with the way Neville was wanking himself off on co comms when Son nearly equalised and people using that to criticise Chelsea.

End of the day the result doesn’t have an asterisk next to it and an explanation of what happened it just shows a 4-1 away win and that’s a damn good result

The thought of Neville wanking himself off does not sit well Axel.
Now Neville sucking on a Purdy excites me ;-)

 

[MadchesterCity]

Chelsea are underperforming their expected points by more than anyone in the league by quite a margin. I do think this will be quite a tough match. Palmer has been really, really impressive(I'm still not sure why we sold him on the last day or the window), Sterling is hit or miss but still has pace to burn and I wouldn't say Walker is exactly locking it down as he has in the past, and while Jackson is a bit of meme currently-you can see there's a player there IMO. He looks very awkward but does seem to have technical ability. Enzo, Caicedo, and Gallagher are quite a strong midfield. Good mix of work rate and technical ability. Their defense is definitely where I think they're weakest. Cucurella, Diasi, and Colwill are all pretty average players. I think Haaland's pace versus Silva could be exploited as well.

--------Ederson
Walker Dias Akanji Gvaridol
----Rodri Bernardo
Foden Alvarez Grealish
--------Haaland

The only real question mark is Grealish or Doku and I don't think Grealish has done anything to lose his spot in games like this. In fact, in the last 3 games, I think he's played great.

Doku for me

 

[CC1]

Out of interest - if James isn’t released by his club to play for his Country- isn’t he supposed to be unavailable for his club game??

 

[MadchesterCity]

Stones is a major blow for us. We are a completely different team when Stones is missing, Himself and Rodri and absolutely vital to the way we play.

Hopefully Kovavic or Nunes can do the job whilst he's out.

Anyway I'd prefer if we started Kovavic on the bench on Sunday, Even small things like starting Kovavic will give Chelsea fans a lift getting on his back.

Ederson

Walker
Dias
Akanji
Gvaridol

Rodri
Bernardo
Foden

Doku
Alvarez
Haaland

This should be starting 11

 

[Inter Me Nan]

The usual arrogance and over-confidence on here. Who is our speedy left back able to keep up with Sterling in his current form? We will concede at least two counter-attack goals so I am predicting 2-3.

The usual defeatist wind up bollocks.

 

[Withnail]

Doku for me

I think Doku's pace will cause James problems.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

Watching the spurs imitation of our game last week for 20 minutes fills me with much optimism tbh; there inexperience cost them in the outcome, where we are seasoned in that regard…

No silly mistakes and I think we’ll win quite comfortably, they are shaky as fuck defensively when you get at them

Going 3-1, Doku and the Norse god to inflict early pain, which we’ll then manage the game out!

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

I think Doku's pace will cause James problems.

Absolutely, coupled with a hammy (if not already suffering one)..

James is Kyle walker pre city. With a little more technical ability, however, his physicality is a shadow of kyles, a few of those electric bursts from Doku and he could be having an early bath, no way he lives with him for 99 mins (:

Watch grealish start now lol

 

[The perfect fumble]

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

3-0 city…..honestly can’t see them having the composure to score against us despite missing stones.

I would want to start quickly and not let them settle…spurs showed how effective that can be….for that reason Doku, Haaland, Foden as the attacking options with Rodri, Alvarez, Silva, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol…

 

[Withnail]

Absolutely, coupled with a hammy (if not already suffering one)..

James is Kyle walker pre city. With a little more technical ability, however, his physicality is a shadow of kyles, a few of those electric bursts from Doku and he could be having an early bath, no way he lives with him for 99 mins (:

Watch grealish start now lol

With Doku only coming on in the last 10 mins in mid week, maybe he starts on Sunday.

 

[Chi-town blues]

pass on to doku on the left hand side

 

[rodridiculous]

Hello guys, I usually come see what everyone is thinking before the big games but it's been a while!

Think this will be a tough one, and in stones' absence i'd start Rico definitely. Last season's match at the bridge wasn't especially memorable, just a "got it done" performance, but if you remember, Rico coming on at half-time gave us so much rhythm. Think he could be trusted here. Left-wing is anyone's guess, but it's usually Grealish in the big games. I'm aware this lineup is quite attacking, but Bernardo and Rodri in the midfield should be able to hold it down.

Eddie

Walker
Dias
Gvardiol

Lewis
Rodri

Foden
Bernardo (interchangeable with Phil)
Alvarez
Grealish

Haaland