!Hazard!

It's very obvious the starting XI needs few changes in the long-run: 1) Better wingbacks. It would be a whole new team had we spent 100 million on two classy wingbacks like City this summer. 2) Upgrade Fabregas. The spaniard needs to go. Sure, he's a great player against teams who know nothing about pressing or are simply too bad to even try but against teams like City he gets exposed over and over again. A player in the mould of Modric or Verratti would transform our midfield both offensively and defensively 3) Why is Cahill still playing? There are four great centrebacks in this team and Gary isn't one of them... This team is still great against teams outside the top-5 and 80+ points in the league is still a realistic scenario. However, against top teams the same problems will continue to exist until some personnel changes on the pitch will take place.

As expected. Great squad player but not good enough to play for such a big club in such a demanding role.

What was Pep saying to Christensen? He tryin to lure our star of of the future to City or what get the fuck out

And people still wonder why Fabregas hasn't won the Champions League....Spanish NT and Barca even tried to make him CF just to get him out of midfield He's been garbage in every big game at Chelsea. Replace him with Verratti and the team goes to another level

Zappacosta for Cahill and Batshuayi for Cesc please. There's still time to turn this around

Christensen is going to be such an amazing player. And he already is

And the only way to counter this with the current squad is to play the most technical centrebacks. Unfortunately Luiz is suspended but there's no reason to play Cahill. Azpi-Christensen-Rudiger would be much more capable of dealing with that relentless pressing. Zappacosta for Cahill, that's how I'd do it. He deserves to play as RWB in the second half.

Azpilicueta as right wingback and Moses on the bench, otherwise the expected line-up. I understand this move. Moses has arguably been our worst player this season.

I just noticed that this forum keeps telling me I'm from Finland which surely is not true as I'm Dutch I don't know how long it's been like this but it wasn't always that way. How can I change it back?

And it's not like Amsterdam is far away from Manchester, timewise it's about as far as London by plane. Nevertheless, weird decision to go to some concert only days before one of the biggest match in the calendar.

My memory is failing me. Has Torres played against us since his move back to Spain?

I always thought Eden and Diego had a horrific understanding considering they played three seasons together. Eden and Eto'o had developed a better one within weeks despite Eto'o not playing every week. But yeah, Cesc-Eden-Alvaro will be magic once they start playing together week in week out.

Rudiger seems really sharp on the ball.

Cesc for Willian please. Need more control in midfield

Played like Rooney during his last Manchester years.

I think he could play Pedro's role in 3-4-3 or as a second striker in 3-5-2, next to Morata with Hazard or Cesc behind them depending on the game. But yeah you're right, he wouldn't come to Chelsea only to sit on the bench. Moreover, he's 30 so likely the club would only be willing give him a 1-year contract.

A cheeky £25-30m bid for Cavani in January? I'm not his biggest fan but honestly he's on another planet compared to Batshuayi.

Other Chelsea players didn't do him any favours. Our whole strategy was based on Cesc, Kante, Cahill and Luiz hoofing the ball towards Morata from distance with the occasional cross from Moses, Azpilicueta and Alonso. Whenever the ball was played to his feet he did well. Just shows how much we need Hazard.

Few points I would like to make about the team selection 1) Bakayoko might still not be in 90 min condition as he's only recovering from injury, which also cut his pre-season to bare minimum. Hopefully he will have reached full fitness come October. 2) There was no defensive midfield cover on the bench besides Bakayoko. If Baka starts and gets injured, who are you going to throw onto the pitch? Drinkwater is still injured, after all. 3) Zappacosta only played his first game for Chelsea on Tuesday and might not yet be in the right condition for Conte to start in a big match. 4) I'm trying to find reasons for starting Cahill but I can't come up with any. Rudiger should have started. 5) It's better to take Hazard's recovery with caution rather than rush him back to starting lineup. Expect him to start at Stoke though. Although I'm disappointed with the team selection I understand Conte's decision-making for now (except Cahill) considering the circumstances. There's bunch of new signings, some who are only still recovering from injury, and Hazard who's almost but not quite ready for 90 min Premier League action. However, if Conte continues to play Fabregas in a two-man midfield in the following months, and continues to let Cahill into the starting lineup even when Rudiger seems like the better player, then I'm going to be truly disappointed.

We won't finish the game with 11 players if he decides to play Cahill...

Chelsea don't sign bad defenders.

ZAP!!

Conte clearly wants LCB to play more proactively than last year and it seems Cahill can't handle the role. Rudiger, Christensen, or maybe even Alonso are far superior in that role. Let's hope Conte has balls to bench the captain

How fuckin dumb is Cahill.

That was Lampard-esque