This upcoming Saturday, Chelsea will play on their home ground at Stamford Bridge for the second week in a row against Brentford who currently sit at 14th in the premier league table, while the Blues sit at 10th. In their last game, Chels‘ faced off against Arsenal in a game that the Blues had in the palm of their hand and should have won, especially when you consider they had a 2-0 lead 76 minutes into the game, but bottled it and ended with a 2-2 draw.
While CFC manager Mauricio Pochettino got most of his team selection right, there is one player who can be dropped out of the eleven. That player is right back Malo Gusto who has done a pretty good job replacing Chelsea captain Reece James who is the primary right back when he is healthy. The problem is that James has struggled mightily with injuries throughout his time in West London, but when he is on the pitch his presence and impact are felt in a big way.
So far, the young Frenchman has two assists in seven premier league appearances. Despite that, the 20-year-old former Lyon player has made mistakes. In a game earlier in the season against Aston Villa, Gusto received a red card in the 58th minute of a 0-0 game and later on Chelsea conceded a goal later on from Ollie Watkins, and the Blues lost 1-0.
Last weekend in the game against the Gunners the second goal of the game that was scored by Leandro Trossard happened on Gusto’s side, and as Trossard received the cross from Bukayo Saka, Gusto looked lost trying to defend him.
Now, in that situation, Gusto is in a tough spot because the ball from Saka was practically a perfect pass but it’s still not an excuse for him to look beaten on that play. One could argue that if James was in that situation he may have done a better job at marking Trossard and if that had been the case Arsenal may never have equalized.
James has been out ever since the first game of the premier league season against Liverpool, the following week the England international suffered a hamstring injury that has kept him out for over two months. He did come into the game against Arsenal in the 84th minute and looked fine, but didn’t have enough time to make a proper impact.
When the Chelsea skipper is on the pitch, he brings so much to the table, that is hard to duplicate. Going forward James is terrific giving good crosses into the box, starting up an attack, and defensively with his brute strength and strong frame he makes it a tough day for anyone who tries to get past him because on top of all that he’s also very quick.
Over the summer James was given the captain’s armband for several reasons, he’s a natural-born leader who is loved and respected by the players, coaches, and fans. He brings so much to the table, and getting him back in the fold will be a big boost for the Blues.
While Chelsea are ahead of Brentford in the standings, and CFC have been much better of late, they are in no position to take any opponent lightly. Especially when you consider that the Blues have some tough games ahead on their schedule getting a win at home against the Bees will be a step in the right direction. If James plays, the chances of the Blues winning are certainly greater.