Chelsea: Three things to look for vs. Manchester City
3. Who is in the manager’s bad books?
Rotation and rest have been the order for so many managers, not just because of the typically hectic Christmas period, but the entirety of the campaign with European and cup commitments also coming thick and fast.
Even without these outside elements, Lampard could have changed his whole squad after the dismal defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day, Mason Mount describing it as the worst half performance he’d been involved in since turning a senior pro. For the follow up against Villa, the boss made six changes, recalling Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Jorginho, Olivier Giroud and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The latter earned a start after his cameo off the bench at the Emirates and was impressive again out on Chelsea’s right, spraying cross-field passes off his weaker a particular highlight. Giroud was once again on the scoresheet, finishing as Chelsea’s top marksmen in 2020 and another demonstration of his invaluable asset to any team. The rest did OK, nothing extraordinary, but the jury is still out on who Lampard will favor—or trust—when the stakes are highest.
His hand has already been forced through by the injury to Reece James, ensuring Azpilicueta’s re-inclusion. Timo Werner was given well-needed rest on Monday, and will likely be thrown straight back into the ring. A decision has to be made about Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, and potentially, if fit, Hakim Ziyech, on who will make up the attacking trident along with Giroud, who surely cannot be dropped on immediate form.
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What are some of the things you’ll be looking for? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!