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Chelsea predicted XI vs Crystal Palace: 3-4-3 for the rest of the season

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

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) /
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SEVILLE, SPAIN – APRIL 07: Reece James of Chelsea looks on during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final match between FC Porto and Chelsea FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on April 07, 2021 in Seville, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN – APRIL 07: Reece James of Chelsea looks on during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final match between FC Porto and Chelsea FC at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on April 07, 2021 in Seville, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) /

Reece James (No. 24) Right wing back, England

James made the most defensive actions against Porto, which is impressive. He was alert defensively. He made six clearances, one interception and four tackles, more tackles than any other player. His performance was a definite improvement on the West Brom showing as he didn’t take many risks and made the right decisions in defensive situations. He may not start against Crystal Palace because of fitness, but based on performance, he should.

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

Kante didn’t start against Crystal Palace perhaps due to fitness. Tuchel has had to manage Kante’s minutes since he arrived. Kante has played superbly in almost every game he has played for Tuchel. He’s one of three central midfielders in rotation that Tuchel selects. Chelsea has played a lot of games lately and one of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic needs a rest. Jorginho did not play well against West Brom but he played well against Porto. Contrary to what people think, he has played generally well under Tuchel. Kante should start this game though.

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Mateo Kovacic (No. 17) Central midfielder, Croatia

Kovacic has equally been very good under Tuchel. Unfortunately he too was really poor against West Brom. He played much better against Porto in the Champions League though. He has been put in a system that has allowed him to focus on his strengths and it’s showing. He has helped with recycling of possession with his passing and breaking the opposition press with his dribbling. He had the most shot-creating actions against Porto, which is impressive.

Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left wing back, England

Chilwell topped off a very good performance with a goal, making the second most defensive actions on the night. Both fullbacks led the team in defensive actions, showing that the team did more defending than attacking. They did enough attacking to win the game by two goals, but that was only because they were superb defensively.

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