Chelsea at Leeds predicted XI: Romelu Lukaku slots into 3-4-1-2

Romelu Lukaku (No. 9) Right striker, Belgium

Those who have been paying attention are beginning to see through the narrative that Kai Havertz has been fantastic and Romelu Lukaku has been rubbish. Lukaku has gotten far fewer clear-cut chances in a Chelsea shirt than Havertz, and yet he still leads Chelsea’s scoring chart in all competitions. For far too long, many in this fanbase got away with spreading the falsehood that Havertz is a good finisher. The eye test and data rightly show that not only is Lukaku the best finisher in the squad by a mile, he is also one of the better finishers in Europe.

Lukaku’s brace against Wolves was the reason that the Blues were able to salvage a point at home. It’s cool to bash Lukaku now, but it would be dishonest not to admit that he has been not been treated fairly by his teammates and his manager.

Christian Pulisic (No. 10) Central attacking midfielder, United States

The consensus is that Christian Pulisic played well in the No. 10 role against Wolves. The most notable thing, and maybe the only notable thing he did, was the instinctive through pass to Lukaku not long after Chelsea had taken the lead. He attempted six dribbles and only completed one. Hakim Ziyech seems to be at the bottom of the attacking midfield pecking order at the moment, and Mount is in bad form, so Pulisic may get the nod again.

Timo Werner (No. 11) Left striker, Germany

Timo Werner was not good against Wolves, but he is on a hotter streak than Havertz and Mount, so he starts. Werner looks to be closer to scoring next than those two. A brace in this game would put him one league goal behind Havertz and Lukaku. Werner looked out the door just a few weeks ago, now he has displaced Havertz, who was starting every match not long ago.

Who do you want to see make the starting XI against Leeds? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!