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Chelsea at Arsenal preseason predicted XI: Never mind, still 3-4-3

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Kurt Zouma of Chelsea holds off Joe Willock of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andrew Boyers - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Kurt Zouma of Chelsea holds off Joe Willock of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andrew Boyers - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (L) pulls away from Arsenal’s English midfielder Joe Willock during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 26, 2020. (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (L) pulls away from Arsenal’s English midfielder Joe Willock during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 26, 2020. (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Callum Hudson-Odoi (No. 20) Right wingback

Callum Hudson-Odoi played well against Bournemouth and has generally looked sharp during preseason. He linked up well with Hakim Ziyech and there’s a lot of things to be excited about watching him. The Englishman needs minutes for fitness, especially as he’s not played football in a while. Hudson-Odoi has had a rough career so far including a muscular injury that kept him out for a while. He’s not really hit top form since then and hasn’t been able to lock down a consistent starting spot under the last two managers. The closest he came to doing that was under the current manager, so there’s hope for him still.

Mateo Kovacic (No. 17) Central midfielder

Mateo Kovacic will need the minutes, especially with the Super Cup looming. Kovacic was one of the best performers under Tuchel when he first arrived. His injury saw him get limited minutes toward the end of the season, including an appearance in the Champions League final. Kovacic came under senseless criticism from a fanbase that allowed recency bias affect their judgement. Tuchel clearly rates the Croatian very highly and it’s easy to see why.

Danny Drinkwater (NA) Central midfielder

As difficult a pill as it may be to swallow, Danny Drinkwater played well against Bournemouth. While it’s a friendly and it’s no indication of how he’ll play in competitive games, his performances in friendlies are the only arguments he has in order to feature in the Chelsea squad for the coming season. Showings like the one at Bournemouth would help him make that case.

Marcos Alonso (No. 3) Left wingback

Marcos Alonso played well against Bournemouth and it was exciting to see him wear the captain’s armband. Alonso has had a turbulent career, which may feel a bit weird to say about someone who has won the Premier League and the Champions League since joining the Blues in 2016. Alonso also played only 45 minutes against Bournemouth, but he likely plays again for fitness purposes.

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