Chelsea continue to be in the box seat following their 1-0 victory against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. There were a number of changes in the starting XI and performance were slightly shadow of the excellence that we have witnessed this season. Next up would be a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. Considering their run of 10 wins on the trot, this should be another comfortable tie for the Blues yet Alan Pardew’s men will be looking to bounce back from the narrow 1-2 defeat to Manchester United in midweek. Below is the predicted first team that Conte might field to strengthen Chelsea’s grip at the top.
Team News:
Hazard missed the previous match with a knock and is expected to return to the first team. John Terry and Oscar would be back to the bench. In short, the medical room is unoccupied.
Formation: 3-4-3
Thibaut Courtois:
The Belgian international made a number of strong saves last time out and kept the Sunderland attackers out of the scoresheet. Palace do have some threatening players yet he will be expecting to seize his 10th clean sheet of the season.
Cesar Azpilicueta:
Underrated yet a reliable lynchpin in Chelsea’s backline. Is expected to continue his sublime form in the next match.
David Luiz:
Despite morsels of mistakes here and there, overall the Brazilian has been solid at the heart of the three-man wall. Won’t have an easy time against man-mountain Christian Benteke yet the odds are on his side.
Gary Cahill:
With every passing week, the skipper’s consistent performances have made the left centre-back position his. Wilfried Zaha would be a tricky opponent yet Cahill will use his experience to tame him down.
Victor Moses:
The 26-year-old is a man reborn under the tutelage of Antonio Conte. With plenty of strength and pace to burn along the right flank, he will be heading to the match with great confidence.
N Golo Kante:
His work rate and good coverage of opponent’s attacking movement will be crucial. The former Leicester City man will not only blanket the backline, he would venture forward when opportunities present itself.
Nemanja Matic:
The biggest debate is who would partner Kante at the core of midfield and the Serbian edges over Cesc Fabregas. Having the likes of Zaha and Andros Townsend, Alan Pardew’s team have the ability to break quickly on counter-attacks thus Matic will look to quash such scenarios.
Marcos Alonso:
Since sealing his spot as a left wing-back, the former Fiorentina man is nothing short of a revelation.
Pedro:
The former Barcelona midfielder has been pretty quiet lately by his standards and will look to make an impact against Crystal Palace.
Eden Hazard:
The fleet-footed attacker will look to add goals to his arsenal of skills and pace.
Diego Costa:
It’s difficult to think of a better striker in the league than the top scorer himself. The Spaniard will be looking to give the Palace defence no end of problems and get back on the scoresheet.
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