Chelsea will have to put the disappointment of the 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in the opening day weekend, as well as their midweek loss on penalties to Liverpool in the Super Cup behind them ahead of their game against Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Manager Frank Lampard will be buoyed by his side’s performance in midweek, but will want to get points on the table in the second league game of the season.
The Chelsea team that Lampard is building is one that has a mixture of experience and youth, and it will probably take a few games for them to play as one.
But, there are a few players who need to up their quality in the game against Leicester City. Let’s take a look at 3 Chelsea players who need to step up against Leicester City:
Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma is one of the first-choice centre-backs in the Chelsea team after the departure of David Luiz, but the Frenchman has not had a great start to the season.
Against Manchester United on opening day, Zouma struggled – first conceding the penalty, and then failing to deal with the counter-attacks.
His game improved in midweek against Liverpool, but Zouma needs to be consistent for the team. With youngster Fikayo Tomori waiting in the wings, Zouma could lose his place in the side if he continues to put in mediocre performances.
Against Leicester City, he will be up against another quick forward in Jamie Vardy, who could cause problems on the break.
Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham missed the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout against Liverpool, but that shouldn’t be the reason to criticise him, as some fans have done so on social media.
A lot is expected of Abraham as he had a phenomenal season for Aston Villa in the Championship last season. He is clearly a talented striker but probably lacks the confidence right now.
The English striker is only in his second full Premier League season, having played in the 2017-18 season for Swansea City. With the experienced Olivier Giroud waiting in the wings, as well as Michy Batshuayi, Abraham could lose his place in the Chelsea starting lineup if he doesn’t improve his performance against Leicester City.
César Azpilicueta
César Azpilicueta also had a terrible game last time around against Manchester United. The Spanish right-back is one of the most experienced players in the Chelsea squad and he will need to not only lead the backline but also the entire team.
The Blues captain should marshal his backline and ensure that they get, at least, a clean sheet against Leicester City, to kick-start their campaign.
