21. Ben Chilwell

[NikkiCFC 7,899]

Started every game for us since late September. Definitely number one player who needs rest. Has not be at his best last couple of games. Today is a big game so I expect him to play but very soon he should be left out.

[Strike 7,192]

1 hour ago, NikkiCFC said:

Started every game for us since late September. Definitely number one player who needs rest. Has not be at his best last couple of games. Today is a big game so I expect him to play but very soon he should be left out.

I'd rather leave him out today than vs Leeds which is a demanding fixture. Leeds create chances like a top 4 team

[NikkiCFC 7,899]

Weird that he got nominated for November. We just played SU, Newcastle and Spurs and he had much better games in October. 

[Vesper 28,349]

[Jase 43,479]

 

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

 

Exactly what I was saying in some of the past match threads - Chelsea can't win them all, but at least maintain the unbeaten run, some draws now and then are just fine, especially if it's in big matches. This gives you confidence and gives you the upper hand over your opponents before matches knowing they go against a team that others have failed to beat before.

It is what happed with Liverpool last season, they were riding a phenomenal wave of confidence, even when they were crap by their standards, still were looking untouchable. That's what the confidence and momentum and an unbeaten run give you.

[Tomo 21,730]

Me initial fears with him have come home to roost a bit since the return from the international break, he's been passive going forward and defensive mistakes are creeping in.

I can accept the latter as a by-product to an attacking fullback but he really needs to start showing some more aggression in the attacking phase, James is making him look ordinary at the moment 

[Jase 43,479]

9 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Me initial fears with him have come home to roost a bit since the return from the international break, he's been passive going forward and defensive mistakes are creeping in.

I can accept the latter as a by-product to an attacking fullback but he really needs to start showing some more aggression in the attacking phase, James is making him look ordinary at the moment 

You have been waiting for this, haven't you? 

[Tomo 21,730]

4 minutes ago, Jason said:

You have been waiting for this, haven't you? 

I can't really win with you, can I?

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Tomo said:

I can't really win with you, can I?

 Well if you're gonna do the same with others here about other players, then... 🤷‍♂️

[Tomo 21,730]

Just now, Jason said:

 Well if you're gonna do the same with others here about other players, then... 🤷‍♂️

I assume you're talking about the way I've called people out on their behaviour towards Mount?

That has nothing to do with people not rating him or criticising him, it's the ones that are/were outrightly abusive towards him that were called out.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

I assume you're talking about the way I've called people out on their behaviour towards Mount?

That has nothing to do with people not rating him or criticising him, it's the ones that are/were outrightly abusive towards him that were called out.

No, not Mount. Not necessarily him. 

[Jase 43,479]

Lampard expects Chilwell to be doubtful for Arsenal. Will have a scan tomorrow and see what's the result.

[Magic Lamps 11,635]

looked to be the ankle ligament so hopefully no lasting damage but surely out for the remaining year.

[killer1257 3,282]

He could walk off the pitch on his own, so I don't think it is that bad to be honest

 

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Hopefully just a minor ligaments stretch, at least that is how it looked to me. Should brush it off in a couple of days.

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/12/22/chelsea-hopeful-ben-chilwell-wont-long-left-back-doubt-christmas/

According to Matt Law...

Chilwell has undergone a scan on the ankle he injured against West Ham United on Monday night that forced him out of his team’s 3-0 victory.

The scan did not reveal a break or any signs of a serious problem, although there could be some minor damage to the ligaments.

Chelsea and Chilwell are hoping that he can recover in around two weeks, but that would still mean the England international potentially missing the next three Premier League games against Arsenal on Boxing Day, Aston Villa two days later and Manchester City on January 3.

[Vesper 28,349]

Chilwell having scan as Chelsea back-up full-backs struggle in attack

https://theathletic.com/2277027/2020/12/22/chilwell-injury-scan-chelsea/

Unsurprisingly, Frank Lampard is sounding bullish and upbeat. The Chelsea head coach has just been asked if his team can attack the same way now they’re missing his first-choice full-backs.

“Yes, I think they (Cesar Azpiliueta and Emerson) can,” he says. “Everything can be different with attributes. We want to attack with our full-backs. They know that. Reece (James) and (Ben) Chilwell have been doing it really well, we hope their injuries are not that bad and will be in and around the games over Christmas. It’s such a tight turnaround so we’ll see. But I was pleased with the two lads (against West Ham). They were very accomplished.”

Lampard wouldn’t say anything differently publicly. With Azpilicueta and Emerson expected to face Arsenal on December 26, he has to speak about them positively and with confidence.

But the absence of James, who was missing with a knee injury, plus Chilwell’s early substitution owing to an ankle problem, definitely contributed to Chelsea’s struggle to beat West Ham on Monday night.

The home side ended up securing a 3-0 victory but the scoreline flattered them. It took two late goals from Tammy Abraham in the space of three minutes to secure the points.

While it was not the only reason that Chelsea laboured in attack for much of the encounter — Jorginho’s struggles in midfield for 66 minutes were hard to watch — Azpilicueta and Emerson didn’t provide the team with their customary threat from the full-back positions.

The map of average positions below shows how both men (No 33 Emerson, No 28 Azpilicueta) spent the majority of their time on the pitch inside their own half. No wonder they produced just five crosses between them (Azpilicueta three, Emerson two).

One of the reasons for their lack of adventure was due to West Ham increasingly winning the midfield battle and applying pressure on Edouard Mendy’s goal after Thiago Silva had opened the scoring. But Azpilicueta and Emerson looked short of pace compared to James and Chilwell. It meant they couldn’t join in as much even if they had wanted to.

It is obviously not the worst situation to be calling upon two internationals to replace two injured players for a tense London derby against Arsenal, but it is not ideal for Lampard either.

Chilwell has already been earmarked as doubtful to face Mikel Arteta’s side. The left-back is today having a scan on his right ankle, which he twisted in the fourth minute of the West Ham game, but the extent of his discomfort was clear to see. Meanwhile, James is unlikely to return after struggling with a knee injury, even though a scan on Saturday revealed nothing serious and an operation would only be required as a last resort.

The duo have had a major role in the way Chelsea have played this season. They generally like to push forward, provide width and put crosses into the penalty area.

Here are some examples of average positions from the previous three Premier League games, which includes the defeats by Everton and Wolves. In the impressive 3-1 victory over Leeds on December 5, you can see below how high Chilwell (No 21) pushed up and he ended up with a team-high 71 touches that night. Despite sitting a lot deeper, James (No 24, was fourth-highest with 60 touches) was still effective and provided the assist for Olivier Giroud’s goal.

The caveat is that, surprisingly, the duo only produced six crosses between them (James four, Chilwell two), yet their presence in the final third acted as a distraction for their opponents which allowed other players to benefit.

Chelsea’s following losses against Everton and Wolves were a disappointment, but it wasn’t due to a lack of involvement from the right-back and left-back. At Goodison Park, James produced a team-high seven crosses, Chilwell was second with five. On this occasion, James, who was arguably Lampard’s best player, was the one operating further upfield.

And finally for the trip to Wolves, which they lost to a goal in the last minute from Pedro Neto, both of them spent the majority of their time in the opposition half. It meant Chelsea had seven players in attacking positions for the most part — against West Ham it was only four.

Chilwell produced 19 crosses and touched the ball the most (116). James, who was feeling the knee problem in this contest, still contributed five crosses and had 76 touches. They must have left wondering how they were on the losing side.

Azpilicueta and Emerson played a lot more conservatively against West Ham than Lampard’s favoured personnel in that position. Some of it could be put down to rustiness. This was just Azpilicueta’s fourth Premier League start of the campaign, the last of which came at Manchester United two months ago. He has played in three Champions League group games since then, but the speed of those fixtures isn’t as intense.

As for Emerson, he finally overtook the amount of minutes he’s played for Italy this season (364) during the London derby (418 for Chelsea now in all competitions).

Defensively they had their moments, especially Azpilicueta. He made key tackles and blocks to deny Sebastian Haller, Pablo Fornals and Aaron Cresswell. The Spaniard led the way in terms of winning back possession (nine times) and Emerson was next with seven.

Azpilicueta is still the club captain and will have fond memories of going to the Emirates Stadium, the setting for his first Chelsea goal in a Carabao Cup triumph seven years ago. And though his involvement on the pitch has been reduced, his presence remains an important one in the dressing room. As he said recently: “I try to set the example here every day with everybody because I see this as part of my family. I have been here since 2012 and my target is to always keep improving.

“I’m a team player and when the results are not good I take the responsibility as the captain. Obviously, you always try to find the way to get the results back, individually and collectively. I feel the extra responsibility. Sometimes when I see team-mates not having a good moment, low on confidence, I’m always ready to help, to talk, because it’s hard.”

Arsenal will see Azpilicueta’s and Emerson’s likely presence as a potential weakness to exploit. The other left-back option, Marcos Alonso, hasn’t played for three months after his reaction to being substituted at West Brom, so a sudden recall is very unlikely. Crucially, Lampard does have a bit of time to fine-tune things, even taking Christmas Day into account.

“A slight difference in attributes can change things to a degree but I don’t expect too much because they (Azpilicueta and Emerson) are accomplished players,” he added. “When we train we work inclusively as a whole squad and know the movements we want to make. We’ll prepare for Arsenal and onwards with our attacking plan.”

One suspects he will still be keen to have James and Chilwell back sooner rather than later.