Chelsea travel to the City Ground for the first time this century to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on New Year’s Day.
It was an eventful 2022 for Chelsea. Across 12 months which saw Roman Abramovich’s reign as owner end and the managerial hot potato get thrown to another coach, the club recorded the fewest Premier League wins and goals scored across a calendar year since the turn of the century.
Here’s the lineup Graham Potter may deploy to get off on the right foot in 2023.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – When Kepa was promoted as a 16-year-old to train with Athletic Club’s first team on weekday mornings his parents weren’t overly enthused. “What about school?” was the question they asked their teenage son and then the club’s goalkeeping coach when Kepa couldn’t explain his way around cutting class.
RB: Cesar Azpilicueta – With Reece James sidelined for the coming weeks, Azpilicueta will surely have the opportunity to add to his growing tally of Chelsea appearances which currently stands at 494, the same as the club’s greatest modern goalkeeper Petr Cech.
CB: Thiago Silva – At his peak, Silva was described as ‘the only defender who can change the outcome of the game’ by a certain Paolo Maldini – who wasn’t too shabby himself.
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly – Despite a pile of accolades from those in the footballing realm, Koulibaly’s career struggles to ignite much excitement from his parents. “Normally, they act as if I am still playing a game out in the schoolyard,” he revealed. “They are too familiar with the hardships of real life to be bothered by a game.”
LB: Marc Cucurella – Versatile enough to play anywhere in his half on the left flank, Cucurella has admitted: “My best position is left-back in a back four, because I played all my career in the academies in this position.”
CM: Denis Zakaria – ‘The Octopus’ earned his nickname at Borussia Monchengladbach. “Because I have very long legs,” he explained. “It was funny and it was positive…or I hope it was!”
CM: Jorginho – With his agent engaged in talks over a new deal, Jorginho could enter into a sixth season and beyond at Stamford Bridge.
AM: Mason Mount – Potter is the latest manager to swoon over Mount’s enthusiasm for the game. “Mason just loves to play football and you can’t measure that,” the 47-year-old gushed.
RW: Raheem Sterling – During his time in Liverpool’s youth system, Sterling will have come across Steve Cooper – now in charge of Nottingham Forest – who spent five years with the kids on Merseyside.
ST: Kai Havertz – Chelsea’s £72m acquisition has the chance to score in consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since March after finding the net against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
LW: Christian Pulisic – In recent years, Pulisic has admitted that he has become ‘addicted’ to online chess, “setting a couple hours aside during the week to play some games or whatever”.
Credit: 90min.com
