4 possible changes Graham Potter could make to his Chelsea starting XI against Brentford
Chelsea will be hoping to continue their recent form under new manager Graham Potter when they travel to face Brentford later today.
The Blues are currently on a five-game winning streak across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
A win for Chelsea could see them close the gap with third-placed Tottenham, who themselves will travel to face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But a trip away to Brentford doesn't come as easy as it gets for Potter's team, as the Bees have been in impressive form this season. Chelsea's opponents are currently in eighth position in the log standings and have even scored more goals than the Blues (18) this season.
With the rush of fixtures, there could be a need for Potter to make some changes to the team that previously faced Aston Villa.
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On that note, this article will take a look at three tactical changes the Blues head coach could make to his starting XI against Brentford.
#3 Azpilicueta (Right-back/wing-back)
The recent injury to English defender Reece James has left a very big vacuum in the right-back position at Chelsea.
His absence was felt in the Blues' 2-0 win against Aston Villa over the weekend. Recall that Potter alternated between both Raheem Sterling and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the right-wing-back position during the game.
The Blues were constantly overrun by Aston Villa on the right flank, especially in the first-half. It took the introduction of Cesar Azpilicueta to restore calmness after the break.
We had to dig in to get the 3 points today! @masonmount_10 x2 ⚽️⚽️ @ChelseaFC https://t.co/3idEXp6PUE
Ahead of the game against the Bees, Potter could opt to start the Chelsea captain at the right-back position. His experience could be key to tame a free-scoring Brentford team that has an in-form Ivan Toney.
#2 Kalidou Koulibaly (left-centre-back)
Another possible change that could be made by Potter against Brentford would be the inclusion of Kalidou Koulibaly in the starting XI.
The Senegalese defender was dropped from the starting eleven that faced Aston Villa over the weekend, with Marc Cucurella playing at left-centre-back.
Potter's decision to start the Spaniard ahead of Koulibaly didn't really turn out well in the first half, as Cucurella looked erratic in defense.
He was taken off at half-time, with Koulibaly being introduced and the Senegalese defender bringing the much-needed stability to Chelsea's defense.
Kalidou Koulibaly has now conceded 0 goals in 4 appearances under Graham Potter… 💥 https://t.co/o8OG43ATGu
The West London club are yet to concede a goal with Koulibaly playing in defense under Potter so far. He has started three games under the English tactician.
#3 Marc Cucurella (left-wing-back)
The Spanish defender was deployed at left-centre-back against Aston Villa and put in one of his worst performances since joining the Blues this summer.
Cucurella has previously been shuffling the left-wing-back position with English defender Ben Chilwell, who himself wasn't at his best against Villa.
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Potter could possibly give Chilwell a much-needed rest against Brentford as he has played back-to-back games against AC Milan and Aston Villa.
Should that be the case, Cucurella could be deployed in his preferred left-back or left-wing-back position, depending on Potter's set-up for the encounter.
#1 Christian Pulisic (left-wing-forward)
The American winger hasn't tasted a single minute of football action since his outstanding performance against the Wolves.
Christian Pulisic hasn't been a regular this season, however, his performance against the Wolves showed a glimpse of what he can offer in attack.
Christian Pulisic has played a total of 0 minutes of a possible 180 since scoring against Wolves 😕 https://t.co/vnHH5m2p7p
Potter could possibly hand him a start against Brentford, especially after Kai Havertz failed to impress at left-wing-forward over the weekend.
The German forward was substituted at half-time following a relatively sluggish performance in Chelsea's 2-0 win against Aston Villa.