Chelsea vs Zenit predicted XI: CL-winning 3-4-2-1 to defend title

Reece James (No. 24) Right wingback, England

Reece James may be serving a suspension from a red card in England, but he’s available to play in the Champions League as it’s a different competition. James was having a good game before the red card. It would be unfair to be judge him harshly for that situation as there was no way he would’ve ever won there. If he doesn’t use his hand, the ball goes in; if he does, he gets a red card and the Reds are awarded a penalty kick anyway. He currently leads the Blues in expected assists (xA). The wingback is actually the only other Chelsea player who has both scored and assisted, the other is Mateo Kovacic.

Mateo Kovacic (No. 8) Central midfielder, Croatia

Speaking of Kovacic, he was superb against Aston Villa. His dribbling pulled Chelsea out of trouble several times. He created the two big chances of the game, one with a pass and the other with an interception. His goal was just the perfect topping on a magnificent performance. It was lovely to see Kovacic score a goal he created all by himself. Kovacic is gradually make himself near undroppable when fit. The criticism around him about end product is silly. Every player is not on the pitch to score or assist. That a player is an outfielder doesn’t mean they should be judged on what they do in the final third. There are other parts of the pitch and things have to be done there too, you know, and Kovacic is great at those other things.

Jorginho (No. 5) Central midfielder, Italy

Jorginho played the last 45 minutes for Chelsea against Aston Villa, replacing Saul, who was having a horrendous game indeed. Jorginho accomplished his purpose for replacing Saul. He restored the control and composure in the center of the pitch that the Blues did not have in the first half.

Marcos Alonso (No. 3) Left wingback, Spain

In an event that surprised everyone, Marcos Alonso was handed the captaincy against Aston Villa. This was even more surprising as Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva were both on the pitch. In reality, it should not be surprising as Alonso was by far the most senior player on the pitch in terms of Premier League appearances for Chelsea. Alonso also happens to be the only person in the team that has been in a title race and a relegation battle (albeit with another English squad). He has fought on both ends of the table and therefore, Alonso is a ripe candidate for the captaincy as he would know the requirements of high intensity matches. Alonso has created the most chances for Chelsea this season and has also been a part of every clean sheet the Blues have had thus far.