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Chelsea should start Tiemoue Bakayoko against Leicester as prep for Champions League

By Barrett Rouen

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Tiemoue Bakayoko of Chelsea and Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur battle for possession during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Tiemoue Bakayoko of Chelsea and Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur battle for possession during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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If Chelsea want to best position themselves for the Champions League and the rest of the season, a strong first move would be starting Tiemoue Bakayoko against Leicester City this weekend.

Leicester are not the strongest technical team in the Premier League and their title-winning side has been stripped of its parts in many ways. Tiemoue Bakayoko has now been back from injury for some time. A match against Leicester City is a perfectly reasonable example of what the Premier League will be like for him week in and week out.

The Tiemoue Bakayoko – N’Golo Kante partnership is one of the things that much of Chelsea’s success this season will ride on. If they cannot work, then Chelsea will not work.

One of the reasons why the Blues bought Bakayoko in the first place is his higher level of industriousness and simple footballing ability over Nemanja Matic. Bakayoko will take some of the pressure off Kante to run the midfield. This will preserve Kante throughout this longer and more arduous four-competition season.

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Matic is a perfect foil for Paul Pogba. Pogba is such a technically- and creatively-gifted player he simply needs someone to watch his back. Kante, on the other hand, needs a more well-rounded partner and that is why Chelsea brought in Bakayoko.

Bakayoko should be fully recovered and fit from a cardiovascular and muscular standpoint. He may not yet be up to match speed mentally, though, as he showed against Tottenham. A team like Leicester – who, while quick, are not exactly the most technically profound bunch in the league – is a good match for him to shake off some rust. Leicester will test him at the right level without entirely scalding him.

Bakayoko should get a full 90 minute showing. If Chelsea take an early lead, Antonio Conte should sub off N’Golo Kante to rest him for the Champions League.

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Chelsea need to make sure they get a result here, though. Slipping up against Leicester with an eye on the Champions League would be foolish. Qarabag are a weaker side than Leicester, so Chelsea should maintain focus in the Premier League while still using this as a tune-up game. The sooner Bakayoko gets going, the sooner the dual piston Kante-Bakayoko motor can fire in the Blue engine room.

To repeat the point, if Chelsea are going to have any success this season it will be because of a strong midfield. Manchester City and Manchester United are both better attacking teams in terms of talent and possess equally if not stronger back lines as well. Chelsea’s strength is in midfield and the match against Leicester should be a good match to stress that point.

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If everything goes according to plan then N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko will be working together seamlessly by the time Arsenal roll around on September 17.

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