Potter better not f**k up again with the system...has to be a back 4 with Zakaria in the midfield...

Kepa

Chalobah Silva K2 Cucurella 

RLC Kovacic Zakaria Pulisic 

Broja Aubameyang 

A game against an in-form Arsenal, midday kick off on a Sunday, and having to drive to London given the train strike. What else can go wrong? I’m certainly not looking forward to Sunday.

Trying to be optimistic and convince myself our players will up their game for a big London derby but have to admit, am not over confident.

Can't remember a time where the gooners looked a lot stronger than us as they do so far this season. Heard TalkSport on way in to work this morning where Dean Saunders had to select a starting 11 from the two sides and it was 7 - 4 in Gooners favour and I think he was actually being kind by selecting Kepa, Mount and Sterling. No way I would select Kepa or Sterling over Ramsdale & Martinez. Only Silva really merits selection if I take off my blue tinted glasses.

Still, they have beaten us in the past when we were stronger and should have won so I'm praying we turn the tables and pull off a shock and put them in the place and make London BLUE again.

COME ON THE CHELS - don't let us down!

Good old fashion 4 4 f**king 2 ! 
win the midfield we win the match

mendy or kepa

dave trev Thiago Cuca

Mason  kova zakaria Conner

auba Sterling 

Yes we don't want a repeat of the first half against Utd I also think we will need more bodies in midfield which suggests a back 4.

1 hour ago, turnyitb said:

Good old fashion 4 4 f**king 2 ! 
win the midfield we win the match

mendy or kepa

dave trev Thiago Cuca

Mason  kova zakaria Conner

auba Sterling 

Line up aside, this is it. We have to win the midfield. Three at the back and any combination of our normal two midfielders and we’ll be overrun. We’ve seen this repeatedly in PL games recently. 

With all the injuries I'm really struggling to come up with a line-up that feels balanced.

I'm not the biggest fan of a back 3 without Reece or Chilwell in the wingback slots, but it does allow SIlva to marshall the backline quite effectively so wouldn't be too surprised/upset to see it.

I thought Zakaria showed promise against Zagreb and would be interested in seeing him feature - to me it felt like he freed up Jorginho a bit, and covered some of his defensive weaknesses. Personally I don't think I would start Auba, he just doesnt offer enough in build up or out of possession. Pulisic has looked good when not forced into wingback during his recent cameos, so perhaps he's earned a start.

As I say, hard to settle on a line-up, but here's where I'm leaning. 433/4231

Kepa (if fit)

Azpi
Chalobah
Silva
Cucurella

J5
Zakaria
Mount

Sterling
Havertz
Pulisic


It's a game in which we're going to need some steel in midfield (Zak + Mase), but also one in which it might benefit us to be able to slow things down and dictate the tempo, which is why I would like J5 in there alongside them.

* Also, as Kova is reportedly playing through an injury, managing his minutes by waiting til the last 25 or so mins to introduce him might be the best way to get production out of him whilst minimising injury risk.

No Kepa now till after the WC...so we've got Calamity Mendy...

5 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

This is shaping up quite nicely for us ... we're usually at our best when our backs are against the wall, and with 6 of our best XI currently on the treatment table, our backs are certainly against the wall !

Against the wall? That is too many backs against the treatment table! 😜

3 minutes ago, doctorblue said:

No Kepa now till after the WC...so we've got Calamity Mendy...

With or without Kepa we were going to get beat here and against Newcastle.

Taken from Sky sports.  A ringing endorsement:

"

Chelsea remain a team overperforming according to the underlying numbers under Graham Potter, especially in attack.

In the six Premier League games he's overseen Chelsea have averaged a non-penalty expected goals tally of 1.06 per-90 - that's a disappointing return for a team that are being priced up as a top-four side and have had a soft run of games against the likes of Wolves, Aston Villa and Brentford. In comparison, Arsenal are working at a 1.82 non-penalty expected goals average per-90 this season.

That Chelsea average dropped to 0.28 when facing Manchester United - a genuine top-six ranked team - where Jorginho's penalty came out of nothing during a very stale attacking performance."

9 hours ago, RMH said:

A game against an in-form Arsenal, midday kick off on a Sunday, and having to drive to London given the train strike. What else can go wrong? I’m certainly not looking forward to Sunday.

I thought the strike was Saturday ? I'm pretty sure I was happy the game was moved to Sunday ?

will have to check it out.

Anyway, throwing logic and reason out the window, and based on nothing at all I reckon a comfortable win for us.

If we go four at the back I don’t want a midfield four in front. Two in the middle is too open, would prefer a narrow three to stop them through the middle and force wide. They cross in the air very little so make sure we concentrate on keeping with wide players cutting inside. This means playing DEFENDERS at full back.

31 minutes ago, Richard P said:

If we go four at the back I don’t want a midfield four in front. Two in the middle is too open, would prefer a narrow three to stop them through the middle and force wide. They cross in the air very little so make sure we concentrate on keeping with wide players cutting inside. This means playing DEFENDERS at full back.

We should park the bus let em wear themselves out then come out all guns blazing to win . It worked for Ali against Frasier in the "rope a dope" fight ! I know , I know , ridiculous . But, it's worked before......

Injuries aside, Arsenal are weak as piss and we should be beating them comfortably.  

yeah we’re gonna steamroll over them

I reckon Pulisic might score at this one! He's been looking bright when coming on!

2 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

We should park the bus let em wear themselves out then come out all guns blazing to win . It worked for Ali against Frasier in the "rope a dope" fight ! I know , I know , ridiculous . But, it's worked before......

Wrong in at least two respects. 🙂

Are we confident that we can protect our goal by parking the bus? I must say that, at the moment, it looks like we need to score at least once to have any hope of securing even a draw. 🙁

When Ali put his 'rope-a-dope' tactic into effect, Frazier was sat at home hoping the Louisville Lip would get his block knocked off. 🙂

Edited November 4, 20223 yr by OhForAGreavsie

3 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I thought the strike was Saturday ? I'm pretty sure I was happy the game was moved to Sunday ?

will have to check it out.

Anyway, throwing logic and reason out the window, and based on nothing at all I reckon a comfortable win for us.

It was Saturday with the usual hangover effect the following day. Seems to be off all together now so travelling will hopefully be fine on either day. I had a mare getting to the Wolves game because of the strikes but I'm not going to this one. Heading to Manchester to watch the women instead.

Edited November 4, 20223 yr by OhForAGreavsie

10 hours ago, cfr95 said:

With all the injuries I'm really struggling to come up with a line-up that feels balanced.

I'm not the biggest fan of a back 3 without Reece or Chilwell in the wingback slots, but it does allow SIlva to marshall the backline quite effectively so wouldn't be too surprised/upset to see it.

I thought Zakaria showed promise against Zagreb and would be interested in seeing him feature - to me it felt like he freed up Jorginho a bit, and covered some of his defensive weaknesses. Personally I don't think I would start Auba, he just doesnt offer enough in build up or out of possession. Pulisic has looked good when not forced into wingback during his recent cameos, so perhaps he's earned a start.

As I say, hard to settle on a line-up, but here's where I'm leaning. 433/4231

Kepa (if fit)

Azpi
Chalobah
Silva
Cucurella

J5
Zakaria
Mount

Sterling
Havertz
Pulisic


It's a game in which we're going to need some steel in midfield (Zak + Mase), but also one in which it might benefit us to be able to slow things down and dictate the tempo, which is why I would like J5 in there alongside them.

* Also, as Kova is reportedly playing through an injury, managing his minutes by waiting til the last 25 or so mins to introduce him might be the best way to get production out of him whilst minimising injury risk.

Seems Azpi is also out for several weeks now

4 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I thought the strike was Saturday ? I'm pretty sure I was happy the game was moved to Sunday ?

will have to check it out.

Anyway, throwing logic and reason out the window, and based on nothing at all I reckon a comfortable win for us.

You’re right and no, the train strike was Saturday (has been cancelled now), but my line was starting late on Sunday and now has engineering works and the lines to London are closed. 
I hope that we get a comfortable win though.

3 minutes ago, RMH said:

I hope that we get a comfortable win though.

Ah a lovely dream that mate.

The reality unfortunately is we...

1 hour ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Heading to Manchester to watch the women instead.

I’d never have thought about going Manchester to watch women, too close to scouse land… 

Dave being injured I feel confirms Potter will go with a back 3, RLC at RWB, Jorgi and Kova in the middle and the trio of Havertz, Mount and Sterling up top.

Is koulibaly fit?