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      Frank Lampard’s Derby days show just how Chelsea can cause Spurs serious problems

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      TO UNDERSTAND the importance of Chelsea’s new-look attack, you must go back to Frank Lampard’s time at Derby.
      What Lampard did not get enough credit for during his spell with the Rams was how organised their collective press was.

      Frank Lampard has impressed since taking charge of Chelsea in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      With the likes of Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, they pressed from the front and were able to spring their attacks from high up the pitch.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      This is now exactly what the likes of Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham and Hakim Ziyech are doing consistently and effectively for Chelsea.
      When you bring in the amount of players Chelsea did this summer, it will always take time to adjust.

      Frank did well not to just throw them all in together at the same time.
      And he is now seeing the benefits, firstly on his defence.
      Yes, Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva have had their impacts, but the collective press, starting from that front three, is where it all starts.
      It is why in the last eight games in all competitions, they have kept six clean sheets. That is a good base to work off of.

      And when they do win the ball back, the embarrassment of riches they have up top is finally showing.
      The beauty of the players Frank has brought in is they can attack in a number of ways.
      With the 4-3-3 that Frank seems to be settled with, Ziyech can sit deep and pick that pass over the top, while Werner uses his pace to get in behind or drag full-backs out.
      Mount can capitalise on the latter, darting into the corridors created by Werner in between the full-back and the centre back.
      And with Tammy, he showed just what he can do with Chelsea’s first goal away to Rennes in the Champions League, dragging centre backs away from goal to create space in behind.
      And to make it even harder for defences, now that they are all on the same wavelength, they constantly interchange and intertwine to pick holes.
      It is similar to what Manchester City did in the first few seasons under Pep Guardiola, and it is working just as effectively right now too.
      This Chelsea team has incredibly intelligent players, and against a side like Tottenham under Jose Mourinho who are likely to sit back, they have options to rip you apart.

      Chelsea’s Premier League squad

      Full squad, in number order…

      Kepa ArrizabalagaAntonio RudigerMarcos AlonsoAndreas Christensen – homegrownJorginhoThiago SilvaN’Golo KanteTammy Abraham – homegrownChristian PulisicTimo WernerWilly CaballeroFikayo Tomori – homegrownKurt ZoumaEdouard MendyMateo KovacicOlivier GiroudMason Mount – under-21Callum Hudson-Odoi – under-21Ben Chilwell – homegrownHakim ZiyechBilly Gilmour – under-21Reece James – under-21Cesar AzpilicuetaKai Havertz – under-21Emerson PalmieriPetr Cech

      In particular with Werner and Ziyech, expect them to cut inside inbetween the back four and the midfield if Mourinho sticks with the low block that has been successful for him.
      But on the flip side, arguably one of the most important players on the pitch will be that sitter in the midfield three, which is likely to be N’Golo Kante.
      He has to remain attached to his two central defenders to stop Harry Kane dropping off and dictating the game from deep.
      Nullify him, and Chelsea’s front three can cause serious problems up the other end.

      Chelsea vs Tottenham – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      Chelsea new-boy Timo Werner may have missed a couple of sitters, but he’s no flop like Alvaro Morata or Fernando Torres

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      TIMO WERNER may have missed a string of gilt-edged chances in recent matches, but he’s no flop like Alvaro Morata or Fernando Torres.
      First of all, why am I even mentioning Morata, Torres and Werner in the same article?

      Timo Werner has missed some sitters lately, but there’s no cause for concernCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Fernando Torres struggled for much of his Chelsea careerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Although Torres helped the club win their only Champions League title, both he and Morata will feel that their Chelsea careers didn’t go the way they had hoped.
      With Torres, many call him a Chelsea huge flop, but I disagree with that – even though he didn’t replicate his red-hot goal-scoring record of his Liverpool days.
      In fact, both Torres and Morata struggled a lot with confidence in front of goal while in West London and between them missed a lot of easy chances.
      In the last few matches, Werner has also missed a few sitters, leading to some fans making worrying comparisons to Morata and Torres.

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      But I’m here to say there’s no cause for concern whatsoever – because Werner is made of stronger stuff, mentally.
      When Torres or Morata would miss a chance, their heads would drop and you knew that was game over for them.
      But whenever Werner misses a chance, that just seems to make him even more determined to make up for the miss and grab a goal or lay on an assist for a team-mate.

      This is what we have seen so far from him in a Chelsea shirt.

      Alvaro Morata had a stint to forget at Stamford BridgeCredit: Reuters

      Yes, he might miss a glaring chance, but just like he did at Newcastle last weekend, he made up for it by beating three defenders and setting up a goal for Tammy Abraham.
      That is the overwhelming difference between Werner and his Spanish predecessors.
      He is a built-in winner, a fighter and a guy who will always come back swinging.
      This is why he is Chelsea’s current top goalscorer for the season with eight strikes, to go with four assists.
      Werner happily steps up and takes penalties now for Chelsea with absolute confidence that he is going to score.
      His Chelsea career has got off to a great start, that is undeniable.
      There is nothing to fear from Werner’s misses, just as long as he buries the next two chances, continues setting up goals, and makes something from absolutely nothing.

      Chelsea vs Tottenham – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time More

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      Chelsea player ratings: Lively Mount gets brilliant assist but Jorginho has worst game in Blues shirt vs Rennes

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      CHELSEA qualified for the Champions League last-16 – but made hard work of it against Rennes.
      A goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi, given a rare start, put Frank Lampard’s side into the driving seat.

      Callum Hudson-Odoi is congratulated for his goal by Tammy AbrahamCredit: AFP or licensors

      Chelsea dominated the early stages and should have gone in to the break more goals to the good, with Timo Werner earlier missing a sitter.
      But Rennes came into it more in the second half, and Serhou Guirassy powered a header home to equalise five minutes from time.
      But sub Olivier Giroud thumped home his own header to win it in injury time.
      Here, SunSport’s Simon Phillips rates how Chelsea’s stars fared in their trip to north-west France.

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      Edouard Mendy – 8/10
      Made a few good saves against his former side and helped Chelsea try and keep some calm when under pressure.
      He was solid in the second half when Chelsea were holding on and made some more fine saves. Couldn’t do much about the equaliser.
      Cesar Azpilicueta – 8
      Played well and took his rare chance to start well.

      I can’t ever see him getting back in ahead of Reece James as a regular starter, but he was solid and proved his worth yet again.

      Thiago Silva – 7
      The experienced defender was a welcome sight for the Blues and he added his effortless class to the line-up once again.
      Makes everything look easy and put in another consistent showing, although he would have liked to have done more on Rennes goal.
      Kurt Zouma – 8
      Zouma was faultless once again and looked very solid and calm in all the things he did. He is firmly cementing himself as one of the first names on Lampard’s team sheet.
      Like Silva, would feel he could have done more on the Rennes goal.
      Ben Chilwell – 5
      One of the few Chelsea players who looked rather fatigued, and he made a number of terrible errors as a result.
      Chilwell had a better second half and tried to put the errors behind him.

      Jorginho – 4
      Was only ever seeming to be jogging around the pitch and was easily dribbled past on too many occasions.
      It was by far his worst game in a Chelsea shirt.

      Jorginho had a poor game in north-west FranceCredit: AFP or licensors
      Mateo Kovacic – 5
      He had a quiet game in midfield and was suspect in the defensive phase.
      The best way to describe his performance tonight was that he was ‘ghost-like’… but not in a good way.
      Mason Mount – 9
      Chelsea’s liveliest and best player. He put a fantastic pass through for Hudson-Odoi to score the opening goal.
      Mount was everywhere and he was given a deserved rest on 67 minutes being replaced by N’Golo Kante.

      Mason Mount continued his fine recent formCredit: Reuters
      Callum Hudson-Odoi – 8
      Sublime finish for the opener and he was one of Chelsea’s better players on the night. He was tracking back and doing his defensive duties well also.
      Hudson-Odoi was in the mood and showed how good Chelsea’s squad depth is. Was oddly subbed off on 75 mins.
      Timo Werner – 5
      Once again Werner looked very tired on the night, he missed another sitter early on and had a number of bad touches.
      Very surprising that he wasn’t taken off as one of the earlier subs. One to forget for the German star.

      Timo Werner will be gutted at missing a good early chanceCredit: Reuters
      Tammy Abraham – 7
      Tried hard as always and held the ball up well on occasions, he also dropped in deep a lot to help out.
      A decent performance from Abraham who was removed for Olivier Giroud on 67 minutes.
      SUBS
      N’Golo Kante for Mason Mount (67 mins) – 6
      Helped Chelsea shore things up when needed in the second half.
      Olivier Giroud for Tammy Abraham (67 mins) – 8
      Gave Rennes something different to think about and sent a message to Lampard by scoring the winner.
      Kai Havertz for Mateo Kovacic (75 mins) – N/A
      Hakim Ziyech for Callum Hudson-Odoi (75 mins) – N/A More

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      Chelsea fans in hysterics as Joe Cole tells Frank Lampard to give players a ‘smacked bum’ at half-time vs Rennes

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      CHELSEA legend Joe Cole had TV viewers in hysterics during the half time break of the club’s Champions League clash in Rennes.
      Frank Lampard’s side started strongly in France and took the lead through Callum Hudson-Odoi.

      Joe Cole had Peter Crouch and viewers acting awkwardly after his bizarre half time remark

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      But instead of going on to run away with it, the Blues allowed their hosts back into it before the break.
      Fortunately for them they managed to secure qualification for the next round after Olivier Giroud struck to deny Rennes a draw late on.
      However Cole, who was watching on as pundit for BT Sport, was not impressed at the interval and amusingly called for Lampard to ‘smack’ some bums of his players.

      He said: “It just got a bit scrappy for Chelsea at moments. You start making these mistakes in games when things are going so well and the concentration levels start to go.
      “It’s the perfect opportunity for Frank to get into the lads at half-time, and wake them up a little bit.
      “You are winning away from home in the Champions League, which is fantastic.
      “But he’ll use this opportunity to just give his players a little smacked bum, to let them know we’re seven games unbeaten, but you have to concentrate at all times.”

      Fellow pundit Peter Crouch immediately began laughing awkwardly at the remark from his old ex-England team-mate, as did host Jake Humphrey before jokingly saying ‘not literally’.

      But it was not just those two who reacted weirdly to Cole’s comments, and Twitter soon sprung into action.
      One viewer wrote: “Joe Cole wants Lampard to smack bums punditry at its best.”
      Another commented: “I love this man so much.”
      Here’s the best of the rest:

      Joe Cole, “give them a little smack bum”🤣🤣.
      — Gary Littlejohn (@EkcoU18s) November 24, 2020

      Frank Lampard insists Olivier Giroud is in his plans despite Chelsea striker admitting he is ready for January transfer More

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      Watch Timo Werner miss another SITTER for Chelsea as striker balloons over bar from five yards out vs Rennes

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      TIMO WERNER added another missed sitter to his growing collection with an absolute howler against Rennes.
      Chelsea beat Ligue 1 side 2-1 to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

      Timo Werner sent the ball miles over the ball from less than five yards out

      Timo Werner couldn’t believe his miss after sending the ball into orbitCredit: Rex Features

      But the Blues could – or perhaps should – have been 1-0 up after just five minutes.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi set-up Werner beautifully with an inch-perfect cross after dancing down the right wing.
      With the goal gaping and sitting perfectly to be tapped in, the German thumped the ball miles over the bar.
      Any slight touch would have seen the ball trundle over the line, such was the pace on Hudson-Odoi’s cross.

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      But after opting for power, the ball was sent into orbit – having also missed a sitter in the nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend, where he scuffed the ball wide from ten yards out with only the keeper to beat.
      Speaking on commentary for BT Sport, Glenn Hoddle slated the dreadful miss.
      Hoddle said: “What a chance that is… Hudson-Odoi puts it on a plate.

      “Werner’s done everything right, he knows he’s in business, but he’s got to keep over the top of it.
      “He didn’t need any power. He must have lost his concentration because he was odds-on to put that in the back of the net.”
      At half-time, pundit Peter Crouch said: “How has he not scored this?
      “It was a fantastic ball from the right hand side.
      “He has got to score there.”

      What a pass that is! 👏Mason Mount wins the ball and instantly slots Callum Hudson-Odoi through on goal to bag Chelsea’s opener!The winger cooly picks his spot to finish the move 👌 pic.twitter.com/lGeFiu41F9
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 24, 2020

      Fortunately for Werner, his blushes were spared.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi opened the scoring, slotting home after a brilliant long pass from Mason Mount.
      Rennes striker Serhou Guirassy thought he’d earned a point for the home side with a late header, but super sub Olivier Giroud powered home a header of his own in injury-time.
      The goal ensured Frank Lampard’s side made it to the last-16.

      Frank Lampard reacts to Champions League Rennes win as Chelsea reach knockout stage More

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      Chelsea biggest flop XI in Premier League history including Kepa, Andriy Shevchenko, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Juan Veron

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      KEPA ARRIZABALAGA has endured another campaign to forget at Chelsea.
      The Spaniard, 26-year-old has lost his place in the side under Frank Lampard to new boy Edouard Mendy.

      Kepa is having another difficult season at ChelseaCredit: AFP

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      With the Spaniard’s future up in the air, we take a look at Chelsea’s all-time flop XI, with Kepa between the sticks…
      GOALKEEPER – Kepa Arrizabalaga

      Kepa has quickly become one of Chelsea’s worst-ever signingsCredit: EPA
      KEPA joined Chelsea in a club-record £71.6m in the summer of 2018 – also a world-record fee for a goalkeeper.
      But the Spaniard has never fully settled at the Blues and has looked well out of his depth, making howler after howler.

      His refusal to be taken off for penalty-specialist Willy Caballero in the 2019 Carabao Cup final was another black mark on his Chelsea record.
      The Blues went on to lose the shootout 4-3 at the expense of Manchester City.
      RIGHT-BACK – Juan Cuadrado

      Cuadrado never found his feet in England before being sent back to ItalyCredit: Reuters
      THE Colombian joined Chelsea in 2015 from Fiorentina for £26.8m with a reputation for being an exciting, attacking winger.
      But he played just 13 times in the league and failed to adapt to life in the Premier League.

      He would go on to spent 18 months of his two-year stint on loan at Juventus.
      Cuadrado joined Juve permanently in the summer of 2017 – where he has since been converted to a right-back.
      CENTRE-BACK – Tal Ben-Haim

      Ben-Haim fell out with Avram Grant, was fined and then sold to Man CityCredit: Reuters
      AFTER three solid years at Bolton, then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho made a surprise move for the Israel star in 2008.
      However, Ben-Haim played just 13 Premier League games as back-up to John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.
      After falling out with Mourinho’s successor, Avram Grant, over a lack of playing time, Ben-Haim was fined £80,000 and later sold to Man City.
      CENTRE-BACK – Papy Djilobodji

      Djilobodji never played in the Premier League for ChelseaCredit: PA:Press Association
      AFTER five seasons at Nantes – and 171 league appearances – Chelsea signed Djilobodji for £3m in 2015.
      However, despite arrival with a decent reputation, the Senegal star rotted on the bench – failing to play a single Premier League game.
      Djilobodji spent just six months at Stamford Bridge before being loaned out to Werder Bremen in January 2016 with just one League Cup game against Walsall under his belt.
      The centre-back joined Sunderland that summer, where he would spend just one season before heading back to France.
      LEFT-BACK – Baba Rahman

      Rahman has played for Chelsea since 2015-16 but is still at the clubCredit: Reuters
      ANOTHER 2015 buy, Rahman has enjoyed little more success than Djilobodji at Chelsea.
      Still somehow on the club’s books, Rahman has only been at Stamford Bridge during his first season, in which he made 15 Premier League appearances.
      Since then, he has spent three years on loan at Schalke, one year at Reims and one season at Mallorca.
      Rahman – who cost Chelsea £21.7m – is yet to be loaned out this summer and is expected to be sold.
      CENTRE-MID – Juan Sebastian Veron

      Veron played just seven times in four years at Chelsea in the leagueCredit: AP:Associated Press
      IN 2001, Veron became the most-expensive player on the planet when he joined Manchester United for a £28.1m fee.
      After two sub-par seasons, the Argentine legend – who starred at Lazio and Parma before heading to England – moved to Chelsea for half that fee.
      He would play just seven times in the Premier League in FOUR seasons, in which he was joined back to Inter and then Estudiantes.
      Veron joined the Argentine side – where he kicked off his career – permanently in 2007.
      CENTRE-MID – Tiemoue Bakayoko

      Bakayoko is set to be sold this summer after two years away on loanCredit: Reuters
      AFTER helping Monaco overthrow Paris Saint-Germain to become Ligue 1 champions, Chelsea splashed out to the tune of £40m to sign Bakayoko in 2017.
      However, after 29 disappointing matches in his debut season, the Frenchman was shipped off on loan to AC Milan and then back to Monaco.
      Bakayoko is now set to be sold this summer for half of the £40m Chelsea paid three years ago.
      CENTRE-MID – Danny Drinkwater

      Drinkwater hasn’t been given a squad number for this seasonCredit: PA:Press Association
      ANOTHER central midfielder signed after helping his side to a surprise league triumph, Chelsea brought in Drinkwater from Leicester in a £35m deal a year after the Foxes’ 2015-16 heroics.
      Drinkwater had spent five impressive years at the King Power Stadium, making over 200 appearances in all competitions.
      But the three-cap England midfielder has played just 12 times in the Premier League for the Blues in his three seasons at Stamford Bridge.
      In that time he’s been loaned to Burnley and Aston Villa – where he made a combined five Premier League appearances.
      Since 2019, Drinkwater’s life has been mired in controversy after being charged with drink-driving and involved in a nightclub brawl in Manchester which left him with ankle ligament damage.
      Drinkwater has not been allocated a squad number for the 2020-21 season and is likely to be sold.

      FORWARD – Andriy Shevchenko

      Shevchenko cost more than £30m and never replicated his top form in EnglandCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      THE Ukrainian striker was an undoubted star at AC Milan earlier in his career.
      So it’s little wonder the club paid £30.8m to sign him in 2005.
      But Shevchenko scored just nine times in three years in the Premier League.
      Chelsea even paid £190,000 a week for the luxury…
      FORWARD – Fernando Torres

      Torres was a £50m panic buy from Chelsea and struggled mightilyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      THE Blues defined the term “panic buy” when they brought in Torres from Liverpool in January 2011.
      Chelsea spent £50m on the former Reds star, who had spent months struggling for form and suffering from a spate of injuries.
      In four years, the Spaniard scored just 20 Premier League goals in 110 games.
      As well as costing £50m, the Blues were paying Torres £150,000 a week…
      FORWARD – Alvaro Morata

      Morata found life at Chelsea tough and is now at Atletico MadridCredit: Reuters
      HAVING starred at Juventus – and then Real Madrid – Chelsea splashed out £65m to sign Morata in 2017.
      But it quickly became clear Morata was struggling to adapt to the Premier League, scoring just 16 times in 47 Premier League games.
      Morata was loaned to Atletico Madrid last season, where he impressed another to make the move permanent this summer, becoming just the latest in a long line of big-money flops to be shown the door.

      Most expensive flop XI in Premier League history – including Sanchez, Kepa and Torres More

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      How Chelsea could line up at Newcastle with Lampard making changes with Pulisic and Silva both OUT but Havertz back

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      CHELSEA face the long journey north to Newcastle without star duo Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva on Saturday.
      But there is some good news for Frank Lampard, with Kai Havertz recovering from coronavirus to make the trip.

      How Chelsea could line-up against Newcastle on Saturday

      Pulisic will definitely miss the game with a hamstring injury, Lampard confirmed on Friday.
      The boss said: “Christian Pulisic is not fit for Newcastle but he’s stepped up his training slowly.
      “It’s been quite a problematic injury so we’ll stay cautious.”
      That means the Chelsea boss could play Timo Werner on the left-wing again, with Tammy Abraham through the middle and Hakim Ziyech on the right.

      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
      Alternatively, Mason Mount could push forward to the wide left role, allowing Werner to thrive in a central role.
      In defence, Silva has returned from international duty with Brazil too late to travel again to Newcastle.
      Lampard added: “Thiago Silva has just landed and messaged me this afternoon so he probably won’t be going to Newcastle because of the length of his journey and timings.”

      Therefore, Antonio Rudiger, Fikayo Tomori and Andreas Christensen will be fighting for places.

      Another way Chelsea could line-up at Newcastle

      Christensen is likely to get the nod in a back-four, but could also play in a back-three alongside Cesar Azpilicueta and in-form Kurt Zouma – recently revealed as the best header in Europe this season.
      Ben Chilwell is expected to be fit after being named on the bench for England’s win over Iceland midweek, despite limping off against Belgium.
      Reece James will start at right-back or right-wing-back depending on Lampard’s formation.
      Edouard Mendy is a dead-cert to start between the sticks.
      Havertz is set to slot back into the heart of midfield, alongside N’Golo Kante and Mount after recovering from Covid-19.
      On Havertz, Lampard claimed: “He’s back. His isolation is over and he tested negative two days ago so he’s just started training on his own to get some of his fitness back after two weeks at home.”
      Chelsea take on Newcastle at St James’ Park in Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off.

      Chelsea boss Frank Lampard slams Premier League over 12.30pm kick-off against Newcastle just 48 hours after international break More