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Chelsea key clashes vs. Watford: Blues’ ability to defend strong striker

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Declan Rice of West Ham United and Christian Pulisic of Chelsea battle for the ball during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Declan Rice of West Ham United and Christian Pulisic of Chelsea battle for the ball during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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chelsea, kurt zouma, antonio rudiger, fikayo tomori
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: (L-R) Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori of Chelsea celebrate during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

3. Chelsea central defense vs. Troy Deeney

If there’s one positive to Arrizabalaga’s season, it’s the fact that the goalkeeping position hasn’t been the worst in the team throughout the year. Chelsea’s centerbacks have been so bad that abysmal doesn’t even begin to describe their performances. If the entire season by the unit had to be summed up in one singular event, it is Antonio Rudiger playing Andriy Yarmolenko onto his dominant foot to fire an 89′ goal into the back of the net for West Ham to edge Chelsea 3-2. But, that’s not even the worst part.

The most heinous crime the Chelsea centerhalves commit is looking like world-beaters the next week. They do enough to reel the fans back in and start to believe in them again. Not anymore, not after the events that transpired at the London Stadium.

Unluckily for Chelsea fans, they have to endure another 90 minutes of watching the Blues’ central defense try and wrestle with a physical forward. Troy Deeney is one of the biggest on-pitch troublemakers in the Premier League. He’s a nuisance and a thorn in the side of defenders. Much like Diego Costa used to do at Stamford Bridge, he’ll annoy centerbacks to distract them and then fire home a goal from anywhere. Fans have seen it plenty of times before, so they should begin mentally preparing for Saturday.

Luckily, Lampard has been fairly reasonable with his changes this season. If nothing else, expect Kurt Zouma to take Andreas Christensen’s spot in the XI; if Fikayo Tomori is fit, expect him to swap with Antonio Rudiger. Zouma and Tomori’s physical, no-nonsense defending bodes well in a match-up like the one they have coming up with Deeney.

Lampard’s possible squad rotation is the only thing giving fans hope heading into the weekend. If Chelsea wants to deal with Deeney in the most efficient and clean way possible, Zouma needs to be on the pitch. If not, it could be another seemingly endless affair in which the Blues find themselves exposed on the counter by mediocre football clubs. Fingers crossed.

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What are some key clashes you’re keeping an eye on? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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