Assuming United pick up a win against Hammers, then we have these scenarios from this game and consequences for the final game:

Win: Top four is ours whatever the result against Wolves.
Draw: Top four is ours if Leicester either lose or draw against United, whatever the result against Wolves. If Leicester pick up a win, we also need to win against Wolves.
Loss: Top four is ours if we match our result against Wolves with Leicester's result against United.

Play this like it's a final or elimination and we have a huge change. We will be more hungry to get something out of this game.

Liverpool doesn't look unbeatable, even at home.

Let’s go for the win. Why not we can do this!  
 

caba ( yes why not!) 

azbi rudi zouma 

james jorginho kovacic alonso 

willian giroud pulisic 

 

 

35 minutes ago, Jezq8 said:

Let’s go for the win. Why not we can do this!  
 

caba ( yes why not!) 

azbi rudi zouma 

james jorginho kovacic alonso 

willian giroud pulisic 

 

 

You’d drop Mount? 

I see no reason to change shape. Many of our best results this season have come against good teams where we play to our strengths and catch them on the counter. Even though we have a deep midfield because of our defensive weaknesses I like playing three at the back. Our worse results come when we dominate possession, look sterile and then get caught on the break ourselves.

I might keep playing Willy because he doesn't stuff around at the back any more but punts the ball down field. Playing out from the back with rudigier and zouma is a heart stopping experience at the best of times and when Keppa dwells on the ball trying to be clever but actually giving the opposition time to set up its worse.

A win would obviously be fantastic but a draw will still leave us in good shape.

If Kante is fit I might bring him back for Jorginho and then Pulisic will likely play instead of maybe Kovacic with Mount dropping deeper. It means that good players like Barkely and RLC and Kova have to settle for a bench place but only Kova does enough defensive work... I wonder if Pulisic is fully fit? Me I like the team better with Tammy but Giroud's got the results to show we work well with him leading the line.

Losing is always possible when playing the runaway league leaders at their shop but we have mostly looked competitive against them this season so I'm am hopeful without being at all confident

Hard to say as we dont know how.much today took out of our players.

However if fitness permits maybe stick with the same side? May give us our best chances against the Liverpool front 3.

1 hour ago, ozboy said:

I see no reason to change shape. Many of our best results this season have come against good teams where we play to our strengths and catch them on the counter. Even though we have a deep midfield because of our defensive weaknesses I like playing three at the back. Our worse results come when we dominate possession, look sterile and then get caught on the break ourselves.

I might keep playing Willy because he doesn't stuff around at the back any more but punts the ball down field. Playing out from the back with rudigier and zouma is a heart stopping experience at the best of times and when Keppa dwells on the ball trying to be clever but actually giving the opposition time to set up its worse.

A win would obviously be fantastic but a draw will still leave us in good shape.

If Kante is fit I might bring him back for Jorginho and then Pulisic will likely play instead of maybe Kovacic with Mount dropping deeper. It means that good players like Barkely and RLC and Kova have to settle for a bench place but only Kova does enough defensive work... I wonder if Pulisic is fully fit? Me I like the team better with Tammy but Giroud's got the results to show we work well with him leading the line.

Losing is always possible when playing the runaway league leaders at their shop but we have mostly looked competitive against them this season so I'm am hopeful without being at all confident

Disagree on changing shape. I think you go back to 4-3-3 against Liverpool. 3-5-2 formation worked against Man United. Tailored game plan. 

Edited July 20, 20205 yr by ChitownBlue

1 hour ago, ChitownBlue said:

Disagree on changing shape. I think you go back to 4-3-3 against Liverpool. 3-5-2 formation worked against Man United. Tailored game plan. 

Well I think we need to stop Robertson and  Alexander Arnold bombing forward. Its true it was 4 3 3 last time we played them in a knockout in the cup:

 

March 20 lineup Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta (c), Rudiger, Zouma, Alonso; Barkley, Gilmour, Kovacic (Mount 42); Willian (Jorginho 51), Giroud (James 90), Pedro. Unused subs Caballero, Tomori, Anjorin, Batshuayi.

 

6 hours ago, Munkworth said:

You’d drop Mount? 

Bring him on 2nd half. 
 

 

More optimistic about this game after the performance and result against Man Utd last night.

Come on Chelsea.

12 minutes ago, erskblue said:

More optimistic about this game after the performance and result against Man Utd last night.

Come on Chelsea.

Agreed. I stand by my post in some other thread that we rise above ourselves in matches we don't expect to win (and then proceed to lose against relegation fodder, but that's for another day on the shrink's sofa )

19 minutes ago, Valerie said:

Agreed. I stand by my post in some other thread that we rise above ourselves in matches we don't expect to win (and then proceed to lose against relegation fodder, but that's for another day on the shrink's sofa )

That's been Chelsea for the last 50 years on the whole

Liverpool are suppose to be on their holidays now with nothing really left to play for so I’m expecting them to pull out their best performance of the season. 

Play the same side that played United please Frank, it makes us solid at the back and allows numbers to break forward when we have the ball.

Rashford, Martial and Greenwood hardly had a sniff yesterday.

Can Giroud play 3 games in 7 days?  Effectively?

51 minutes ago, Malcolm9 said:

Play the same side that played United please Frank, it makes us solid at the back and allows numbers to break forward when we have the ball.

Rashford, Martial and Greenwood hardly had a sniff yesterday.

Liverpool is not going to concede possession.

22 minutes ago, DumbYank said:

Liverpool is not going to concede possession.

What are the lottery numbers for Saturday please.

23 minutes ago, DumbYank said:

Can Giroud play 3 games in 7 days?  Effectively?

We only need Ollie to play 45 min, do a brace and go relax.

5 hours ago, Valerie said:

Agreed. I stand by my post in some other thread that we rise above ourselves in matches we don't expect to win (and then proceed to lose against relegation fodder, but that's for another day on the shrink's sofa )

That’s Chelsea for you...

1 hour ago, Malcolm9 said:

What are the lottery numbers for Saturday please.

Oops.  I don’t think they will concede possession.  Don’t know lottery numbers.

  I   I will pick a low block 433 like we did against city, hopefully Kante is fit  and can give the team fresh legs along with pulisic. 

                          Kepa

Azpi        Rudiger       Zouma      Alonso

                         Kante

Willian    Mount      Kovacic      Pulisic

                      GIROUD

 

Is the Merseyside Zidane gone from Chelsea? He wasn't even in the 18 yesterday. I think he would perform well against the dreaded red scousers that he has hated since birth.

I don't think the same eleven would work out again. Numerous examples this season after solid performance Frankie kept the same starting line-up and got beaten the next game.

Adjustments are required. United's only strength is on the wings, Frankie put 4 people guarding them. Good. But Liverpool would destroy us in the center if we go out with Jorginho and Kovacic. I'd rather have Mount in the middle for this one. 

I'm very interested to see the lineup. I imagine Barkley comes back in after the ludicrous amount of work that Kovacic got through on Sunday, also because no one would want to ruin their party more than Ross. Pulisic will come back in. Hopefully Kante is in too. 

I like the idea of 3-4-3 against Liverpool, gives you the spare man who can negate Firmino when he drops out of the line without disrupting the structure too much. Also gives Alonso some cover against Salah. 

This is a very tough one no matter how we set up. Beating Liverpool at home on the day the trophy is presented to them is a tall order. But who knows. Sometimes I feel like our team is more likely to beat peak Guardiola Barca and then lose to Barnstoneworth United, so we shall see. Would be nice to get something to make the last day a little less anxiety inducing!