Chelsea predicted XI at Aston Villa: 3-4-2-1 passes test again
Chelsea goes into the final day of the season with its fate in its hands, but with a very difficult fixture in front of it. The Blues travel to Aston Villa‘s Villa Park, after picking up a point in the reverse fixture. That reverse fixture was the Blues’ third game in a week, so they needed to rest starters, sending out a majority of second-choice players. Chelsea has to win this match to decide where it lands by the end of the season, any other result and it’ll be hoping for favors from elsewhere.
Here’s who The Pride of London thinks Thomas Tuchel selects to start the final game of the Premier league season:
Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal
Edouard Mendy lost a chance at the Premier League golden glove award due to a mistake from Mateo Kovacic while trying to play out from the back against Leicester City. The Senegalese has been outstanding this season, showing up even in games Chelsea has lost to save the Blues from further embarrassment. Examples of that are the Leicester away and Arsenal away games where he made four very good saves in each match, and still conceded two and three goals respectively. He has been the most consistent member of the Blues’ back line.
Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Right centerback, Denmark
Tuchel has been full of praise for the Danish centerback recently. Andreas Christensen picked up an injury in his game against Manchester City, attempting to clear a ball in behind that ultimately resulted in a goal. He has not made an appearance since, but Tuchel has been vocal about his trust for him. Christensen has given more than enough reason for that trust too, making himself a mainstay in the three centerback pairing since he stepped in for Thiago Silva midway through the Tottenham game.
Kurt Zouma (No. 15) Centerback, France
Kurt Zouma came on in the 89′ against Leicester City and did more fighting than playing of football. He has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent players since the beginning of last season. He has registered nine clean sheets this season. The Frenchman has played well when called upon this season and his presence has been felt in attacking set pieces this season. He has just about two years left on his contract and is clearly not preferred at Chelsea. With Jose Mourinho moving to AS Roma, it wouldn’t at all be shocking if the Portuguese manager pursues the defender.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany
At this point, it’s even more obvious to see why Antonio Rudiger has been starting. His role in the Leicester match and subsequent was crucial. The Blues concede less with him on the pitch, reflected in the fact that he has the second highest number of clean sheets amongst the centerbacks. He may well be the undroppable amongst the defenders.