12 hours ago, Kev56 said:

Hazard has made it pretty clear he doesn't like that position.

Has he? I hadn't heard this - do you have a quote/link?

58 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

This is exactly the sort of game we need to start making lighter work of. 

Big test today to see if we’re ready to keep pace with the top 4. 

Hoping for a line up of

Kepa

Dave, Rudi, Luiz, Alonso

Kante, Jorginho, RLC

Pedro, Giroud, Hazard 

I think RLCs recent goals and performances means he deserves another start, we need that sort of threat and creativity from the midfield. 

Yeah, this is what I'd go for too.

On 15/12/2018 at 11:20, DaRick said:

We should be winning this game, but then again we should have been beating Wolves as well.

I rate Ryan, Duffy and Dunk quite highly. Ryan is a very good sweeper-keeper and a pretty good shot-stopper, though I expect Brighton to sit deep and so I don't expect his distribution skills to be a massive factor. Duffy and Dunk are stereotypically strong, aerially-dominant British/Irish centre-backs. 

Against such a side, I would start Giroud to keep the CB's occupied and play Hazard/Pedro in to try and suck them out of shape. I would also focus more of our attacks down the right because Gaetan Bong is their defensive weak-link.

RLC has played quite well lately and has provided a goal threat, so I would start him over Barkley/Kovacic.

Sarri may still persist with the false 9 though. 

Think Duffy is suspended...more reason to play Giroud.

Same team as against City. No Morata in the squad again - injured or are we binning him off?

 

Edited December 16, 20187 yr by Blueblur

Disappointed not to see Barkley or RLC instead of Kova. Brighton are a team that are strong at home and we could do with the goal threat from midfield.  

Also no CHO which is disappointing especially considering we have three CM's on the bench. If he doesn't start getting more minutes I can see him leaving if the rumours of big European teams sniffing around are true.

Edited December 16, 20187 yr by DukesOfHazard

I’m not surprised that we’re going with the same lineup that just beat Manchester City 2-0. 

Same team as against City. No Morata in the squad again - injured or are we binning him off?

I was one of his biggest supporter's but you have to draw a line somewhere

What ever team plays you will always have a few who complains

13 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Same team as against City. No Morata in the squad again - injured or are we binning him off?

Might be both. When I saw him holding his knee on Thursday I asked myself “wonder if that’s the last time we see him play for Chelsea”

probably not, but I think his days at Chelsea are numbered. 

Looks like Morata is done here. That's fine with me.
Silly that we went into the season relying on him though.

Otherwise a decent team, hope we get Hazard more involved. Most times he's played up front for us he's been taking out of the game completely by CBs.

Disagree with the lineup but I can see why Sarri is persisting with it given how effective it was last week. 

Just now, Sindre said:

Looks like Morata is done here. That's fine with me.
Silly that we went into the season relying on him though.

Otherwise a decent team, hope we get Hazard more involved. Most times he's played up front for us he's been taking out of the game completely by CBs.

We tried getting Higuain, but he wasn't really interested.

Probably dodged a bullet there TBH. 

Just now, DaRick said:

We tried getting Higuain, but he wasn't really interested.

Probably dodged a bullet there TBH. 

Higuain was interested. And Sarri wanted him but Higuain noticed that Sarri was the only one at Chelsea who wanted him so he chose to go to Milan instead.

2 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Looks like Morata is done here.

Isn't he injured?

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

Has he? I hadn't heard this - do you have a quote/link?

Yeah, this is what I'd go for too.

Look up hazard false no. 9 He's said he doesn't like the position as he doesn't get involved, and have the ball enough, his body language tells it as well.

Think Sarri  May be trying to use hazard like he did with Mertens at Napoli. Maybe just until January?

5 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Higuain was interested. And Sarri wanted him but Higuain noticed that Sarri was the only one at Chelsea who wanted him so he chose to go to Milan instead.

It's not clear that he really was.

It's true that Chelsea's perceived apathy played a role in his decision, but he was nonetheless more interested in Milan than Chelsea, according to this passage:

“Everybody wanted me at AC Milan, while in London I was only wanted by the manager. AC Milan insisted to sign me, Elliott did a big effort for me and Leonardo, Maldini and Gattuso know the club very well. I really appreciated their approach during the negotiations.”
 

10 minutes ago, Amputechture said:

Isn't he injured?

No, Moratta is on the transfer list.

Not the thread but no way is higuain the future of Chelsea

4 minutes ago, TheBluesBrother said:

No, Moratta is on the transfer list.

Really...what's the source?  

7 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

Really...what's the source?  

the season so far.

8 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

Really...what's the source?  

Type it into google. Sarri put him on the transfer list.

6 minutes ago, TheBluesBrother said:

Type it into google. Sarri put him on the transfer list.

wow, ok i thought it was a joke.

f**ks sake I thought I was getting this on TV. Apparently they opted for arsenal instead. w**kers.

Kovacic looks to be Sarri’s preferred choice in that attacking midfield role. I personally think RLC has been playing better than he has and is unlucky not to be picked in the starting XI.

No conventional centre forward again today, Hazard will probably see a lot more of the ball today in the false 9 role then he did against City but I don’t think he wants to be starting there every week.