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Chelsea will look to bounce back after their lacklustre draw against Brighton & Hove Albion when they take on West Ham away from home later today.
The tension at Chelsea in the aftermath of the European Super League fiasco clearly reflected on the team's performance last time out, as Thomas Tuchel and co. failed to create any clearcut chances in a goalless stalemate.
As the battle for the top four intensifies, Chelsea know they'll have to find comfort by grinding against an upbeat West Ham outfit.
On that note, let's take a look at the top Chelsea news stories ahead of their trip to the London Stadium.
Chelsea make six changes for West Ham tie
Thomas Tuchel is once again chopping and changing his resources to full effect, as he has made six alterations to his Chelsea team that drew against the Seagulls.
Edouard Mendy returns in goal, with a backline comprising of Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger ahead of him. Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is set to play down the wings as a wide defender in another demonstration of his versatility.
Ben Chilwell will occupy the opposite flank, while N'Golo Kante and Jorginho are expected to operate in the middle of the pitch. Timo Werner, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic will complete the Chelsea attack. Surprisingly, Tammy Abraham has made the bench.
Merson urges Tuchel to include Tammy Abraham in his plans
Tammy Abraham last played for Chelsea about two months ago. After a number of omissions and a minor injury, he has returned to the team sheet against the Irons.
Tuchel had, in his press conference, hinted at a potential return to the line-up for Chelsea's leading goalscorer this season.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson feels Abraham deserves a chance too when he said:
"I don’t know Tammy Abraham, but I’ve watched him play over his career. The one thing he has got is a good attitude. I’m not seeing him in training as one of the kids who you think, 'Oh, he ain’t trying in training.' His attitude is spot on. He’s got a good attitude."
He added that Chelsea could only succeed if they include a proven goal machine like Abraham in their plans.
"He should be given a chance. That’s the problem with Chelsea; they will never be successful again if they don’t get a goalscorer in that football team. They won’t blow anyone away, for how great they are and they dominate football matches, they don’t score enough goals," said Merson.
Tuchel reveals how he reset after the ESL fiasco
Thomas Tuchel has admitted that the doomed misadventure of the European Super League has had a negative impact on the Chelsea team.
Just a few hours after accepting to become a part of a new breakaway football circuit, Chelsea and the other five 'big' Premier League clubs decided to pull out of the ESL after massive backlash from their fans.
The ambitious project, which could have the landscape of the sport completely, undoubtedly affected the Chelsea players. The Chelsea manager commented on the same, saying:
"We had several talks (with the players) about it between Sunday and Tuesday, honestly, which I don't know if it helped or if it did not help in the end, but I arrived in the stadium in a strange mix of feelings."
Thomas Tuchel continued:
"I was a bit annoyed; I was a bit angry. I was impatient, I was absolutely not focused like I normally am on match days."
Tuchel further revealed how both he and his players recovered from all the chatter, concluding:
"So I decided not to speak again with the team (about the Super League after Tuesday). We did a normal post-match talk with them like usual, but now I feel like everybody has the possibility to focus like normal on a big match, which is absolutely necessary, and from here, on we go."
Tuchel will hope Chelsea can remain switched on in the midst of a run of important games this season.
Also Read: Barcelona News Roundup: UEFA president issues warning to Barca over European Super League, club interested in signing Brazilian midfielder on a free transfer, and more - 24 April 2021.
