The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea key clashes vs. Norwich: Krul vs Blues’ attack

By Matthew Hancock-Bruce

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea and Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 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 Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea and Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 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 Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 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 Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 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 Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images) /

Chelsea’s first win this season came against Norwich, the Blues will be hoping for similar results the second time round. Here are key clashes to watch for.

What better way to bounce back from a heavy defeat than by taking on the recently relegated whipping boys of the Premier League, Norwich City. The Canaries have been up and down from the English top-flight more than a coal miner in the 70s and so, the Blues should face little difficulty taking three points at the Bridge. That being said, some of Norwich’s squad will have a point to prove which could make for some interesting duels across the pitch.

1. Tim Krul vs. the Chelsea attack

Norwich has conceded a total of 67 goals so far this season, more than any other side in the division. Chelsea meanwhile are the fourth-highest goal scoring side, with the Blues having found the net 63 times themselves. So, expect a busy day for the Norwich shot stopper. Tim Krul is by no means a bad keeper—and in front of him—Ben Godfrey has shown huge potential, but when your side has kept just five clean sheets, it’s highly unlikely you’re going to manage a shutout when faced with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Willian.

The Canaries come into the match off the back of a 4-0 demolishing at the hands of West Ham, whose only previous win since the restart came against Chelsea. Astoundingly, all four goals came courtesy of one man, versatile forward Michail Antonio. With attacking reinforcements headed for the bridge in the form of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner a number of the Chelsea frontline will be aiming to impress in hopes of securing their place for next season. One man at serious risk of becoming a benchwarmer next campaign is top scorer Tammy Abraham.

Despite finding the back of the net sixteen times across all competitions, Abraham’s place in the side has been thrown into question both by the signing of superstar Werner and more worryingly his current goal drought. The No. 9 has scored just two goals in the league in 2020; luckily, he managed that same total in the first clash between the two sides. If Abraham is going to have any part to play next season, he needs a big finish to the current one.

If Abraham fails to deliver again it’s fair to assume that the in-form pair Willian and Pulisic will get back to scoring ways following a flat performance against Sheffield United. While Abraham’s scoring touch has all but vanished this year, Willian has wound back the clock, scoring four times since the return, picking up a pair of assists in the process—giving himself every chance of a contract extension. The American, meanwhile, has himself claimed three goals and two assists since the break. If Norwich is to have any chance in this game, the Canaries will need to shut the wingers down. But in all likeliness, Krul will expect to have his hands full. That is, of course, if he can even get a hand to the barrage of shots destined to come his way.

Home/Chelsea FC News