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Chelsea take on Everton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Frank Lampard’s boys look to even the score against the Toffees, who took all three points in their first meeting at Goodison Park in December.
Chelsea are fourth on the table at the moment and will need to win this game if they are going to keep a rejuvenated Manchester United at bay. Everton, on the other hand, are 12
th and would cut the gap between them and fourth place to only five points if the game plays out in their favor.
Kepa to Be Recalled
Kepa Arrizabalaga seems to have fallen out of favour with the boss following a series of poor performances in his last few starts. However, his solid performance against Liverpool, highlighted by a superb triple-save in the 20th minute, may have earned him a call-up back into the starting XI.
Five at the Back
With the Stamford Bridge outfit living through an injury crisis at the moment, Lampard is very likely to field a trio of centrehalves and two wingbacks. The system has already proven workable in two occasions over the past two weeks, with Chelsea employing it in their defeats of Tottenham Hotspur in the league and Liverpool in the 5th round of the FA Cup.
The likely starters in those five defensive positions are:
Right Wing Back: Reece James
Centre Back: César Azpilicueta
Centre Back: Antonio Rudiger
Centre Back: Fikayo Tomori
Left Wing Back: Marcos Alonso
Billy Gilmour to Partner Rose Barkley in Midfield
With Mateo Kovačić, N’golo Kante (both injured), and Jorginho (suspended) all unavailable for selection this weekend, Lampard is very likely to deploy only two players in the middle of the park. Barkley is almost certain to get a starting spot against his former club next to 18-year-old Gilmour, who, despite being inexperienced, knows a thing or two about demolishing a Merseyside team on home turf.
Giroud to Get Yet another Start
Tammy Abraham is out injured, and so are Willian, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Christian Pulisic. This leaves Lampard with no choice but to select from the remaining quadruple of Mason Mount, Pedro, Olivier Giroud, and Mitchy Batshuayi. Here is who we reckon will get a start, going by recent team selections:
Left Wing: Mason Mount
Centre Forward: Olivier Giroud
Right Wing: Pedro
The match will kick-off at 7:30 p.m. IST.
