Pizy

Palace now level with us on points

Looks like we'll have the numbers advantage in the middle of the park. Hopefully we play aggressively and on the front foot and don't allow Özil and Cazorla to run the game. Is hoping we don't start like zombies from the start like we did against Liverpool asking too much?

Ivanovic was awful against Liverpool and now has to go against Sanchez. Have to hope he can summon a performance from a couple of years ago or this could be a looooong day.

Ivanovic straight back in according to Cundy... great...

Not worried about the title as I think we aren't good enough to win it. I'm going to start worrying about just scraping 4th if we don't kick in to gear soon.

We could be midtable by the end of the weekend if we lose... Very early, but what an uphill battle we'd have on our hands.

Spuds and City already ahead. Great start to the weekend...

This has the potential to be an even worse weekend than last for us if we lose. United winning easily, Liverpool and City should win easily, and Everton and Spuds each have relegation area sides. If we lose to Arsenal we'll be in trouble already.

When the only other option is Cahill I'm taking Terry every time. He would at least help keep Luiz in check. I'd feel way more confident if JT was fit for this.

Damn. I can't see us going in to the Emirates with a Cahill & Luiz CB partnership and emerging with 3 points. With JT's leadership and organization I would've given us a great chance. Plus, we all know Ivanovic will go straight back in the team... My hope is that we'll see Azpi and Alonso as fullbacks and Cesc in a midfield 3 with Matic and Kante. My bet is we'll see the same team we've been playing, though.

Have to imagine that we would've looked significantly more solid all around with Kante in there so I'm not too mad about the first part of the match. Cesc surely has to start in place of Oscar and alongside Matic and Kante for Arsenal. He'll be up for it against his former club and with Conte's trust in such a huge occasion. He offers far more than Oscar going forward and with two sets of legs behind him that should be enough protection. Just don't have Matic going forward as much.

Diego has been unreal since coming on. Unstoppable. Would be pretty embarrassing to go on and lose this now with 30 minutes against 10 tired men.

Cesc was fine going forward there but is so painfully, ridiculously slow and unathletic it's hard to watch. Like an out of shape fan put on a Chelsea kit and had a go. Think the only way he can start is with both Matic and Kante around him.

Klopp as well last season. Liverpool were embarrassingly bad at points under him last season.

Some comical defending, yes, but it's like flashbacks to last season where seemingly every single mistake we make gets punished by a goal. Poor, but also painfully unlucky.

I hope Alonso kills it today so that Conte will feel he can't leave him out at the weekend. Also hope Luiz bosses it and builds up his chemistry with the other players.

So sick of him on and off the pitch, tbh. Comes off as a spoiled child who can't help but mouth off in the press and says mind bogglingly stupid things. Then on the pitch he seems so timid and you never see him yelling and organizing the back line. When he concedes soft goals he just has that "ah, whatever" look on his face like he isn't bothered. Just fuck him off to Real Madrid and rinse them on the fee. Go and get someone who would actually be happy to play for Chelsea.

Christ, I thought I was a bit negative... No way have Spurs looked significantly better than us. They've been nowhere near where they were last season so far and now may be losing Kane for an extended period. Liverpool have been (really) hot and cold. That's how I think they'll be all season. They'll look unstoppable one game and woeful the next. Everton won't keep this up all season. The only 100% certainty for the top 4 is City who will walk the title by the look of it. With the amount of uncertainty with everyone but them, we have a fantastic shot at top 4. We win our next 2 PL games against top quality sides and suddenly we're right back up there and morale is restored.

Unfair on Matic. Thought he was solid and our best midfielder. Oscar on the other hand I agree with. He was and is useless at everything but harassing people with the ball. Offers no cutting edge going forward with either his passing or his shooting. He's just an average player. We either need to bring Cesc in for him or play with two forwards.

I just don't understand how a player with the ability to be the best player in the world like Hazard just has such a weak mentality. He just looks like he gives up if something doesn't come off for him. Goes into a shell. He should be looking to attack and assert himself but just doesn't. Really, really frustrating. And if this wasn't the game where Conte realizes how terrible Ivanovic is I will rage. He's got cement boots. Ball watches and gets caught out time and time again. He was dreadful.

So much for Hazard being back. Hazard, Willian, Oscar and Diego were all shit. Absolutely pathetic that our midfield got completely bossed by He derision, Wijnaldum, and Lallana. They passed rings and us. At home! They just embarrassed us in our own home. We just aren't nearly as far along as I thought we were. Player for player we have way better talent than they do but Klopp is such a good coach that he drags them up a level or two.

Yeah, just saw that. It's that idiot Neil Ashton who's been saying this for weeks. It's bullshit.

Their defense and midfield look so bang average. We're such a better team than they are in terms of talent. Up to them to show that, though.

Possibly no Firmino, Milner probably at fullback, Henderson in midfield...we're at home. Really no excuses here. We should be winning this. Hazard should be able to dominate a match like this.

Not seeing many Liverpool fans predicting them losing or even drawing. Most of them i'm seeing are saying they'll batter us.