Chelsea have a chance to close the gap on Liverpool to just two points at the top of the Premier League table with victory over Brentford, which would also put them four points ahead of third-placed Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca continues to say Chelsea are not in the title race but victory against the Bees will make it difficult for him to continue to hold on to those thoughts. chelsea is The average ball possession rate per game this season is as high as 56.4%, ranking fourth in the league.averaging 15.3 shots per game (fourth again) while conceding just 11.6 goals per game (sixth-worst in the division).
However, the Italians will be entirely focused on one game and this one against Brentford will be treated like any other, which could include more tactical tweaks, especially in the absence of Romeo Lavia situation.
Chelsea Brentford pre-match news
Three players who will definitely be missing from the Blues are Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Pedro Neto. James and Fofana are both missing through injury, while Neto is suspended after picking up six yellow cards in the Premier League.
Mykhailo Mudryk is another who may not take part as he has missed Chelsea’s past three games through illness. Finally, it appears Lavia will also have to be monitored after being taken off at half-time against Tottenham Hotspur with hamstring pain.
With the Belgian midfielder likely to be unavailable, Maresca must find another way to shake up his squad, change up his Chelsea puzzle and get his best players into the squad.
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How Chelsea can fill Romeo Lavia’s void
Maresca calls defender Marc Cucurella ‘extraordinary’important“At Chelsea in the past, with Lavia out, the Italian is likely to use the Spaniard to set up his team appropriately, utilizing Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer platform for others to get the best results from them.
With Cucurella’s versatility, he might be Quite ‘awkward’ in Jamie Carragher’s words Last weekend against Tottenham, Maresca could move him to a wide centre-back position, playing to the left of the back three in possession as we have seen so often this season, but it is also possible Move deeper and more forward into midfield.
Cucurella vs Lavia comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) | Cucurella | Ravia |
Assist | 0.06 | 0.19 |
progressive carry | 1.15 | 0.38 |
Progressive Pass | 3.46 | 3.21 |
key pass | 0.54 | 1.13 |
Entering the last three areas | 3.92 | 5.66 |
Tackle | 2.08 | 2.83 |
Building Blocks | 1.62 | 1.13 |
intercept | 0.84 | 2.00 |
recovery rate | 4.15 | 4.53 |
Win the air duel | 0.85 | 1.13 |
Statistics taken from FB reference | ||
The full-back is likely to line up alongside Caicedo against Brentford. This, in turn, will allow Fernandes to advance into the left half, receive the ball and direct play in that area, an area from which he has enjoyed great success in recent weeks. Scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in his last five games. Cucurella, along with Caicedo, provides additional stability to cover Fernandez’s defensive prowess, with recovery numbers similar to Lavia’s.
The Euro 2024 winner not only brings the off-the-ball tenacity needed to maintain pressure in central areas, but also has the on-ball quality that Lavia can provide, making 3.46 progressive passes per 90 1.15 progressive possessions.
In the absence of Lavia, Maresca can use Cucurella’s role in the midfield to balance the team, allowing everyone to still occupy their best offensive area, while the Blues can suppressed Brentford in the half, showed aggression when off the ball, and suppressed Brentford through counterattacks. High intensity.
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