Aston Villa vs. Chelsea: Three things to look for in Blues’ PL return

Chelsea is preparing for its first competitive action since March. Here are a few things to look for in the Blues’ match against Aston Villa.

After a 100-day hiatus, the Premier League has finally returned. Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United kicked the restart off, but Chelsea has to wait until Sunday. Playing against the Villains gives the Blues an early opportunity to assess their fitness and tweak their lineup ahead of upcoming bouts. Here are three things to look for in Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.

1. The Blues’ fitness levels

For the first time all season, it seems as if Chelsea has a fully healthy squad to choose from. There were some injury concerns surrounding the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James, but both look fit to play big roles against Aston Villa.

Despite playing in two pre-return friendlies and getting the green light from the training staff, there are still questions regarding the match fitness of many Chelsea players. Individuals like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic have struggled with some long-term injuries and will be playing their first meaningful matches in awhile. This may impact how Chelsea starts the game.

In the Villains’ match against Sheffield a few days ago, both sides came out of the gate struggling. This is, of course, natural of two sides who hadn’t seen the pitch in three months. However, Chelsea doesn’t have the luxury of playing an opponent in the same situation. Instead, the Blues take on a side with a match already under its belt.

Frank Lampard’s boys will have to come out swinging, as tough as it may be. Before ruling out the possibility of returning to mid-season form, look no further than Manchester City to prove it can be done. The Citizens hammered Arsenal from the start en route to a 3-0 win. Pep Guardiola’s side flew across the pitch and pressed effectively, something Lampard’s side will hope to do against the relegation-battling Villains. The defending Champions didn’t miss a beat, the Blues need to replicate that.

This is exactly the type of match Chelsea has to win if the club wants to finish top four. Keep an eye on the Blues’ fitness levels out the gate as they could impact how the remainder of the game shapes out—and could even be the difference between heading home with three points or nada.

2. Lampard’s centerback pairing

The talk of the Coronavirus break has been Chelsea’s offseason transfer business. Many seem to forget the Blues still have a top four campaign to finish and the squad’s current problems are far greater than what’s going to happen a month from now. Lampard’s biggest weakness this season has been the inconsistent performances put on by his back line. The young manager has tried the old plug-and-play technique, but it’s failed up to this point.

The transfer window is null and void at the moment. Throw all talk of Chelsea’s summer signings out the window because right now, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori are all of the centerbacks the Blues have. Like it or not, they’ll be the players to see the season out.

Another thing to keep an eye out for on Sunday is how Lampard lines up his defense. It’s almost guaranteed Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James will start out wide, but the centerback duo Lampard will name is a crapshoot.

Luckily for the Blues, if there’s ever been a team to boost the confidence of the opposition’s defense, it’s Aston Villa. The Villains struggle in front of goal—to put it nicely. Lampard’s had a few weeks of training and a few friendlies to find his preferred pairing in the middle of the park. The Chelsea legend needs to stick with this duo if they perform well against Aston Villa.

Consistency is key for defenses, but so is confidence; especially ones that include the likes of Christensen. Barring a collapse of epic proportions from the players in defense against one of the Premier League’s poorest attacking sides, the centerback pairing named against Villa is likely to be the starting duo going forward. Whether or not the Blues can correct their defensive woes is yet to be seen, but a clean sheet against the Villains would be a step in the right direction.

3. Adjustment to new rules

Anyone who tuned into the project restart opening day matches surely noticed some unconventional things around the grounds during the match. Aside from the lack of fans and social distancing between players, staff and media, many changes were made to the way the game is played. Most importantly, the amount of substitutes allowed by each side.

Both teams are allowed five changes across three substitution stoppages. Further, the squad size increased to 20, with nine players allowed to be named to the bench. Arsenal’s situation showed just how vital this rule change will play out to be as the Gunners made two switches within 25 minutes of the start due to knocks. Chelsea has numerous players returning from injuries, as mentioned previously. While these rule changes are in place to protect players and teams, it also presents a unique opportunity tactically.

Now, Lampard can take more risks he wouldn’t have before. Options at the English manager’s disposal include starting young Billy Gilmour in Jorginho’s absence, giving Loftus-Cheek play time right away and leaving the likes of Willian and Pedro out of the side. None of which would’ve likely been considered in alternative scenarios, but now become real possibilities.

Between a fully fit team and the new selection guidelines, Lampard will have plenty of tactical options to choose from. Sunday’s match against Aston Villa is the first big test back, despite being against a bottom-three side.

The changes are seemingly minor, but they could have a major impact on how the Blues’ season shapes out. Expect Lampard to tinker with the team and get the best out of players each and every week, largely in part to the new rule adjustment. We have no idea how he’ll steer the ship, but how Lampard handles the substitution switches for this season starting on Sunday will give supporters a solid idea.