2. Rotate with an eye on the Leicester one and two?
The season has been absolutely exhausting for players and if you think it is bad now, wait until the Euros are a reenactment of The Walking Dead (when it was still good). Thomas Tuchel smartly opted to roll the dice after Real Madrid and rotate for Manchester City. Not only did he get to do that, but the Blues won the match.
Now with Arsenal, there is probably an incentive to play a similar team. Arsenal is far down the table and, even if that is below par, should be beatable by about any team Tuchel can field. With the FA Cup final on the weekend and the “second leg” against Leicester next week being a top four six pointer, it may be wise to keep a similar lineup against Arsenal as was seen against City.
There are two good reasons for this two. The first is it bolsters the mood of those players that beat City. Not only did they slay a giant, but they can be rewarded for it as well. That should keep their confidence and performance levels high for Arsenal.
The second reason is one game off may not be enough for some players at this point in the season. Mason Mount and Timo Werner have quite literally gone the extra mile and a match or two off, even if only a week overall, might be just what the doctor ordered to have them fresh for the final games of the season. Furthermore, the rotated players should easily be able to go two in a row given they haven’t been putting on nearly as many miles.
Chelsea has to compete in all competitions, but that was why the club built such a deep squad over the summer. Nearly any Chelsea team should be capable of beating this Arsenal right now and even if they can’t, there will be wiggle room remaining. It’s all about playing the long game at this point.