Chelsea: Four things to look for on final day against Wolverhampton

4. How tricky does Frank Lampard want to be?

After catching Manchester United in a three at the back booby trap and then getting stomped by Liverpool using the same tactic, Frank Lampard has a decision to make. He can revert to the 4-3-3 that has been the norm for most of the season, or he could give the 3-4-3(ish) formation another whirl.

The footballing cases for each choice are theoretically sound: familiarity versus matching up against Wolves’ three at the back formation. Chelsea’s win back in September came in a 3-4-3, although Wolves didn’t quite have their whole team and system sorted out at that point, with neither Adama Traore and Wily Boly being in the squad on the day. As easy as it would be to say Chelsea should just do everything the exact same as the first go around, these are effectively two very different sides from the ones that faced off 10 months ago.

Fitness permitting, Chelsea’s strongest eleven fits best into a 4-3-3. If Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante are both fit enough to start, that makes Lampard’s decision a bit easier with two obvious focal points to build around. By Occam’s Razor, that’s the solution then, done and dusted. But some of Chelsea’s best results, the United win included, have come when Lampard does something a bit unexpected.

A third successive match in a 3-4-3(ish) would be surprising, but it would also require some tough personnel choices. Namely, Jorginho. He simply cannot defend to the level required in a two man midfield, and his play making isn’t effective enough to make up for that deficit. Against a midfield of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, tight marking and constant harassment are non negotiable necessities. Chelsea have at least three other choices who are better suited to that task than the Italian (Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley) but Kante’s fitness is still a question and Kovacic is still coming off the back of a mild Achilles injury. Also, Ross Barkley is Ross Barkley, so that’s a toss up too. In another potential war of attrition, Jorginho may once again be the last man standing.

After the disastrous first half against Liverpool, it’s almost certain that Lampard will do something different, whether it’s a new formation, an overhaul of personnel, or just minor tweaks to adapt to Wolves’ game plan. The five substitutes also benefit Chelsea greatly, and Lampard has been exceptionally good at using them to change matches that aren’t going the Blues’ way. Ideally, Chelsea will be out of sight before substitutes are required, but “ideally” isn’t really a relevant concept at Stamford Bridge this season.

Wolves are a consistent and well drilled side, who tend to turn in solid performances on the regular without ever really blowing anyone out of the water. If Lampard can spring a surprise on them, it could give Chelsea a chance to get out to a head start in a match where any positive result is good enough.

The good news is that something will change after Wednesday. It’s even better news that it’s not obvious what exactly will change. Lampard’s surprise will be known only when the lineups are announced, and even then, it might play out different on the field that what the piece of paper says. In theory, that’s all to Chelsea’s benefit. In theory.

What are you looking for against Wolves? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!