The Chelsea Lineup That Should Start Against Man Utd
By Tom Gott
Here we go. This is it. The big one. It's time for Chelsea to face Manchester United.
It's not even a derby, but this fixture feels personal. Winning could make a season and losing could derail it, so Frank Lampard will need to be at his best if he's going to get one over against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side who just came out on top against Paris Saint-Germain.
Here's how he should line up.
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Édouard Mendy (GK) - While the romantic in me wants to see Petr Čech in the team, Mendy deserves to keep his place after keeping a clean sheet against Sevilla.
Reece James (RB) - United like to run fast, so full-backs need to be quick, and that's why James should get the nod ahead of César Azpilicueta.
Thiago Silva (CB) - Silva's experience is so important to this squad, and in such a big game, he needs to start.
Kurt Zouma (CB) - With Silva lacking in athleticism, Zouma will be needed to keep the balance. Don't be surprised if this is Fikayo Tomori, given Zouma's been a little error-prone recently.
Ben Chilwell (LB) - It's almost scary just how quickly Chilwell has settled in at Stamford Bridge. He's looked great so far and deserves the chance to continue that run.
2. Midfielders
N'Golo Kanté (CM) - Despite not being at his best, he's Chelsea's only defensive midfielder, so he's effectively the first name on the team sheet by default.
Mateo Kovačić (CM) - Jorginho was the weak link against Sevilla, so Kovačić's press-resistant style of play is exactly what this Chelsea side need at the minute.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (RM) - Christian Pulisic struggles out on the right, Mason Mount hasn't really offered much recently and Hakim Ziyech is not yet fully fit, so it's time to bring Hudson-Odoi back in to ask some questions of United's inconsistent defence.
Kai Havertz (AM) - Duh.
Christian Pulisic (LM) - After two games of struggling out on the right, Pulisic needs to be moved back to his favoured left wing if Chelsea want to see the best from him.
3. Forward
Timo Werner (ST) - Werner may have struggled against Sevilla, but he still needs to retain his spot in the starting lineup. If Chelsea are to win this, they need their strongest XI, and Werner is definitely part of that.