Chelsea predicted XI for Arsenal: All hands on deck for the next month

Chelsea has a brutal run of games spread out over the next month. Frank Lampard will need all hands on deck as rotation takes a back seat.

Chelsea does not have time to linger on the Newcastle loss. As Tammy Abraham has said, they can only take their anger out on Arsenal now. It has been less than a month since Frank Lampard’s side got the better of their North London rivals but Mikel Arteta changes the game slightly. Arsenal is still pulling from the same tool box, but they will be more motivated than before. Lampard has to get his squad, and their mentality, right before hand.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, 1, Goalkeeper, Spain

Chelsea was backed into a corner over the purchase of Kepa Arrizabalaga. It is likely that the scouts had him earmarked to begin with, but the stats then and now have done those reports few favors. Chelsea’s only route through the hiccups may be better coaching, but even that can only take Arrizabalaga so far. The keeper has a long ways to go, but the club surely has to be thinking of other options.

Reece James, 24, Right back, England

James took a knock against Newcastle but he should be fit in time for Arsenal. Chelsea needs him too because when he, the winger, and the nearest center mid are in full flow they are nearly unstoppable in their advancement. He has a laser guided cross that only needs more targets on the end to force the opponent into second guessing. As it stands, it goes to Abraham and when the target is known, they can be marked out.

Andreas Christensen, 4, Center back, Denmark

Lampard has no easy solution at the back. All four of his center backs have a case for starting but they have also all made a case for being dropped recently. Defense is easily Lampard’s biggest weakness but even he cannot make the defenders do everything that is asked. His search for the best pairing needs to end at some point. Christensen just edges out a start, if only because Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger have not seen many good moments lately.

Fikayo Tomori, 29, Center back, England

Tomori has only played one match since the last Arsenal match. Fitness and sickness have kept him away but Chelsea needs him back. Arsenal, even under Arteta, still focus heavily on fast wingers and forwards and no defender is faster than Tomori for the Blues. He still has those occasional hiccups, but they seem so much lesser than some of the mistakes others have been making as of late.

Cesar Azpilicueta, 28, Left back, Spain

Lampard got the structural setup absolutely correct against Newcastle. To counter the Toons’ defensive 5-4-1 shape, Lampard had his side attack in a 2-3-5. The bigger issue was the lack of rotation between the positions that has generally made Chelsea dangerous this season when present and flat when not. Azpilicueta served to tuck into midfield in that match which is a role suited for him, but he is also the only left back Lampard truly trusts right now.