Chelsea will entertain Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night looking to bounce back from their heart-breaking Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City last weekend. The Pensioners lost the game on penalties which has heaped even more pressure on Maurizio Sarri.
The Italian head coach is expected to opt for a 4-3-3 formation and might choose to start with Marcos Alonso at left-back.
4-3-3 Chelsea Predicted Lineup To Face Tottenham Hotspur
Defence
It remains to be seen whether Sarri decides to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in this midweek encounter versus Spurs after the goalkeeper directly disobeyed his orders when he was asked to come off the pitch against Manchester City last weekend. The Italian boss might put his beef aside with the player and begin the match with him in the first-team as Chelsea cannot afford to drop him and risk conceding cheap goals at the back.
Both David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger should keep their place at the heart of the Pensioners defence. They were both exceptional against the Citizens last night which would give them a lot of confidence heading into this clash.
Cesar Azpilicueta will resume his full-back duties on the right side of the Chelsea backline. The Spaniard was a rock at the back against Man City, but he will have his hands full while trying to cope with Heung-min Son’s threat in his own half. Marcos Alonso might get the nod to start at left-back after he was rested last weekend.
Midfield
The controversial midfield three of Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante should resume their midfield duties at the centre of the park. Despite recent criticism surrounding Sarri’s reluctance to play Kante in his natural position as a defensive midfielder, it seems like the Italian boss might once again ask Jorginho to act as the defensive lynchpin of his team while both Kovacic and Kante gets the license to link up play in the opposition half.
Attack
Both Eden Hazard and Willian should feature down the wide areas as they look to create some decent chances for Gonzalo Higuain who will lead the charge for the home side up top. The Argentine forward has struggled to score goals for Chelsea since completing his loan move from Juventus in January. He has scored just two goals in six appearances for the Pensioners thus far.
