4 reasons why Chelsea must use Callum Hudson-Odoi in their starting XI

#3 Willian and Pedro need to be pushed

Willian's spot in Chelsea's starting XI seems to be assured - but does he need to be pushed more?

It’s become a bit of a myth that Willian and Pedro have struggled for form throughout 2018/19 – they have 11 goals and 6 assists between them in Premier League action – but it’d be hard to deny that both men have had some underwhelming displays at times too, something that’s been hugely frustrating for Chelsea fans to watch.

Part of the problem is that under Sarri, there seems to be no consequences for poor performances. It’s an issue that goes squad-deep, as the likes of David Luiz, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso also seem to be rooted into the starting XI for Premier League games despite also underwhelming on more than one occasion. But surely at some stage, for the good of the Blues’ squad, that must change.

If Sarri begins to play Hudson-Odoi ahead of either Pedro or Willian in Premier League action, then not only would that be a good thing for the youngster, but it’d also be good for the two veterans too. It’d probably light a fire underneath them and show them that their starting spots aren’t a guarantee, and that to retain them they need to perform well more consistently.

In this scenario, everyone at Chelsea would likely win out, and the only victims would be the opposition defenders faced by the attacking trio. There’s simply no need for Chelsea to continue to start with Willian and/or Pedro when they’re not performing brilliantly – it’s time for the Blues to unleash Hudson-Odoi in the league instead.