Chelsea: Three things to look for as Blues travel to Manchester United

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Chelsea’s English head coach Frank Lampard gestures during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in London on October 3, 2020. (Photo by NEIL HALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

2. Frank Lampard’s tactics

It’s no secret that in the short, storied history between these two managers, Solskjaer has gotten the better of his counterpart. Man United has emerged victorious in three of the four matches since the famous No. 8 took charge at Chelsea. While Lampard needs time to even the series up, he can gain an advantage—and some revenge—on Saturday at the Theatre of Dreams.

In the first three matches, where Chelsea was outscored by an aggregate of 8-1, Lampard chose to line his side up in a 4-3-3. He tried a plethora of pairings in the midfield and along the back line. It wasn’t until the gaffer switched things up and went with his big game formation, the 3-4-3, that the Blues came out victorious. Whatever excuses Red Devils fans may spew are irrelevant for that match. Chelsea dominated the stage at Wembley, not because of the personnel selected by the other side or the blunders, it was just pure domination as a result of a tactical masterclass. This gives the English manager some food for thought ahead of Saturday.

Lampard has stuck with his 4-2-3-1 thus far this season, despite the struggles. Therefore, expect to see the Blues’ best back four thrown back in—minus a swap from Reece James to Cesar Azpilicueta, perhaps. Kurt Zouma, Silva, Chilwell and either James or Azpilicueta offer Chelsea the best chance to win the match when playing four at the back. In defensive midfield, Lampard will likely have to decide between Jorginho and N’Golo Kante to line up alongside Mateo Kovacic. Kovacic was excellent midweek as a substitute, but has failed to make the XI since the international break. His performance the last time out against United was sensational, so it’d be shocking to see him left off the team sheet.

Regardless of which players Lampard picks for the XI, he’s got a monumental decision ahead of him. United hasn’t started the season strong at the back, so does the Blues’ manager pounce on the opportunity or respect the opposition’s counterattacking threat?

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