Chelsea play Manchester City at Stamford Bridge tonight (8.15pm) in a game crucial to their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The Blues will be hoping to get one over Pep Guardiola’s side after losing the reverse fixture 2-1 back in November, and the result could have significance elsewhere too. That's because anything but a win for City will see Liverpool crowned Premier League champions.
For Frank Lampard, the Chelsea head coach, the game will also be another opportunity to test his tactical nous against one of the masters of the art in Guardiola.
Some Blues fans will no doubt be fearing the inevitable approaching tonight’s game.
After all, City scored eight goals and conceded none in their first two games since restart, while Chelsea were far from their best in beating relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Sunday.
However, the visitors have lost seven games this season and display a number of recurring weaknesses that Lampard could look to exploit.
Their defeats to Liverpool, Manchester United and Wolves, for instance, all illustrated City’s defensive frailties.
Granted, key defender Aymeric Laporte has been absent for the majority of the season, but there are still questions over whether City’s back line can deal with the threat Chelsea pose.
At left-back, for instance, doubts remain over the defensive qualities of Benjamin Mendy, who can often be drawn out of position.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was handed left-back duties for City’s 5-0 rout of Burnley, but Mendy is tipped to return tonight, meaning Willian or Callum Hudson-Odoi will need to expose his particular weakness.
If Lampard elects to start Willian and with Reece James at right-back, then Chelsea’s right side could pose City some serious issues going forward.
On the flip side, though, both players will have to provide good defensive cover when out of possession, given the attacking threat City pose themselves from the flanks.
Chelsea could look to target Joao Cancelo at right-back if he is selected over Kyle Walker. The former Juventus defender has struggled in his first Premier League season and looking to expose that could be a logical option for the Blues.
Mason Mount’s tendency to make runs in the left channel to support Christian Pulisic could be an effective way of trying to get the better of Cancelo on the City right.
When you look at City through the middle, their quality in possession suggests Lampard would do well to look to the flanks if he is going to punish the outgoing champions.
