Chelsea predicted XI at Spurs: Lampard selects his preferred 4-2-3-1

Spurs hosts Chelsea in the round of 16 in the Carabao Cup. Both teams will field weaker sides, but what is the Blues’ predicted XI?

In a bid to forget about the West Brom embarrassment, Chelsea travels to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for round four of the Carabao Cup. The Blues face their London rivals in a historic tie. It’s still one of the more realistic chances at a trophy for both managers, though Jose Mourinho seems to have his sights set elsewhere.

Mourinho is without a first team striker, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min out injured. Lampard may look to further stretch Tottenham with a 3-4-3, his opposite number seems to have a problem coping with that, but he may instead select his preferred 4-2-3-1. Chelsea also has to rest some players, while building others’ match fitness. Here’s who we think Lampard chooses to push the Blues into the quarterfinals:

Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal

Mendy is the latest acquisition to the west London side. He is yet to make an outing for the Blues, but it seems like his first appearance is not far away. Willy Caballero earned his spot against West Brom, but it’s difficult to say he has earned a place between the sticks in this one. Lampard has spoken about competition between the goalkeepers and what better way to give the new Chelsea man a tryout than in a cup game against your bitter rivals. Lampard also doesn’t seem to have deep confidence in his other options. Caballero’s West Brom display shows that his saves against Barnsley can be heavily linked with poor finishing, rather than expert goalkeeping. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s, well, let’s just talk about Cesar Azpilicueta now.

Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right back, Spain

Azpilicueta came on for the second half against West Brom and immediately fixed the team’s organization. The “he’s not vocal enough, doesn’t seem like a real leader to me” merchants would have been uncomfortable watching the match footage of the captain giving instructions to Thiago Silva, the leadership guy. Azpilicueta’s influence on the match not only showed in that footage, but in the 45 minutes that followed. It is no coincidence that the captain made the pass to Mason Mount that started the comeback. Azpilicueta’s presence had the single biggest impact in that match.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Centerback, Germany

There’s been talks of Rudiger being on his way out of Chelsea. They may be true, but they’re still rumours and Rudiger is still a Chelsea player. Rudiger has had a rough start to the season, with him missing out on the match day squad two times in a row. The German’s style of play is suited to a Tottenham game, however. His physical and aerial prowess should come in handy for the Blues. If Rudiger does wants out, this is his chance to advertise his services. If not, it’s a chance to give Lampard a selection headache going forward. Either way, Rudiger wants to play well in this match.

Kurt Zouma (No. 15) Centerback, France

Zouma was left out of the starting XI against West Brom and it caused some murmurs. He was likely being rested for this game and while no one knows for sure why he was left out, there’s still no cause for unrest. It’s one game. Zouma has been Chelsea’s best centerback this season, followed closely by Andreas Christensen. Zouma will play a big part in deciding the outcome for Chelsea tomorrow, there’s too few players who can beat him in the air. It would be silly not to play the Frenchman.

Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left back, England

Chilwell made a sensational move from Leicester this window. He made an appearance against Barnsley last Wednesday in the League Cup and chipped in with an assist, playing in his first match back fit from a nasty injury. Lampard may decide to give the England international his full debut against the Blues’ London neighbors.

Jorginho (No. 5) Central midfielder, Italy

Jorginho sat out the game against West Brom completely, but he has improved this season and that goes without saying. A lot of the downside to Jorginho seem to be things he has no control over, so there’s not much he can do. He has given his all every time he has played for Chelsea, and that is exactly what Chelsea needs tomorrow.

N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central midfielder, France

Kante needs some rest, but this is probably not the match. He has been a rock in the middle of the park and has been contributing both offensively and defensively. Kante shouldn’t have to contribute offensively, but when no one is in the box, he goes there. Chelsea needs Kante to just do his thing against Spurs. He has played against them enough times to know exactly what to do and how to win. His presence on the pitch boosts Chelsea’s chances of moving past Spurs in the Carabao Cup.

Kai Havertz (No. 29) Attacking midfielder, Germany

Havertz has started all of Chelsea’s matches so far this season, and he seems set to start yet another. He has opened his scoring account in this competition with three goals against Championship side Barnsley. He needs as much match experience as he can get for the Premier League and playing against Premier League opposition would not hurt his match fitness at all.

Callum Hudson-Odoi (No. 20) Right winger, England

Hudson-Odoi did well to force himself into the line-up for this one. He played out of his skin, pulling Chelsea out of trouble he had no hand in at the weekend. He scored a sensational goal to restore hope in the fans and his teammates, which earned praise from Lampard himself. On a day when Lampard needed someone to come through, the teenager gave a good account of himself.

Tammy Abraham (No. 9) Striker, England

Abraham did not have a good game against West Brom. He missed a big chance early on and was absent for large parts of the game, but scoring the 94′ equalizer has to count for something, especially when you consider that his other strike partner did not get a goal in the same game. Abraham is still very much in contention for the starting striker spot. A goal against Tottenham Hotspur almost certainly guarantees him one in the next league game.

Ross Barkley (No. 8) Left winger, England

Barkley has become Chelsea’s go-to guy for cup games. Barkley played well in the third round of this competition and did everything in that match. He made tackles, interceptions, created chances, scored goals and even missed big chances. Barkley will ensure that Chelsea can remain competitive in all competitions, offering Lampard some much needed depth.

Next. Things look promising for Chelsea, even when plenty of work is needed. dark

What does your predicted XI look like for Chelsea vs. Spurs? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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