Chelsea welcome already relegated Norwich City to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, where it could be a question of how many they win by, with boss Frank Lampard expecting a big reaction from his side, following a three-nil defeat to Sheffield United.
Norwich City travel to West London to face Chelsea off the back of a four-nil defeat to David Moyes’s West Ham United. A result that sealed their fate in the Premier League this season, with them playing Sky Bet Championship football for the 2020/2021 season.
The Blues on the other hand, return to Stamford Bridge following a massive favour done for them by former Blue, Dominic Solanke.
The now Bournemouth striker scored twice against Chelsea’s closest rivals, Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City, to give the Blues one foot in the Champions’ League group stage next term.
This was despite Frank Lampard’s side not making things easier for themselves in their hunt for a top-four finish, losing three-nil to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday evening.
Two strikes by David McGoldrick, either side of an Oli McBurnie header saw the hosts prevail.
Team News
Norwich City manager, Daniel Farke is without defenders Sam Byram and Grant Hanley, who remain on the treatment table with long-term injuries.
Young English midfielder, Todd Cantwell, is expected to feature from the start, following his re-introduction from injury as a substitute against West Ham last time out.
For the Blues, midfielder, N’Golo Kante, is not expected to be fit for this Tuesday’s tie against the Canaries, but will return for their FA Cup semi-final versus Manchester United on Sunday.
Danish centre-half, Andreas Christensen, will be the likely partner for Kurt Zouma in the heart of the Chelsea defence, having recovered from a knock obtained at Bramall Lane on Saturday.
Predicted Line-ups (via whoscored.com)
Chelsea: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Zouma, Marcos Alonso; Ross Barkley, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic; Willian, Olivier Giroud, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Norwich City: Tim Krul; Max Aarons, Timm Klose, Ben Godfrey, Jamal Lewis; Alexander Tettey, Kenny McLean; Cantwell, Christoph Stiepermann, Onel Hernandez; Adam Idah.
Form Guide
Chelsea: W, W, L, W, W, L.
Norwich City: L, L, L, L, L, L.
Ones to watch
Willian (Chelsea)
The Brazilian has been in scintillating form since the return of domestic football in England, with his combinations with fellow wide-man, Christian Pulisic, gaining many plaudits by the core Chelsea fan base.
His performance tomorrow evening will go a long way to determining the result of the tie in SW6.
Todd Cantwell (Norwich City)
The young Englishman has been a shining light in an otherwise dismal campaign for the Canaries. Norwich will likely to fend off bids from numerous Premier League sides before next season, knowing he will be a crucial component if they’re to return to the top tier at the first time of asking.
His ability to beat a man and get a shot off will likely be the only real option Norwich have to get on the scoresheet, with their most prolific striker, Teemu Pukki, having not scored in over 800 minutes of football.
Previous Meetings
The Blues are undefeated in their last 16 contests versus the Canaries, with little sign of that record changing tomorrow evening.
Overall, however, their records against each other are allot better than many would expect, with Chelsea holding 23 victories to Norwich’s 14. Eighteen ties have been drawn.
Where can I watch the game?
In the UK, the fixture is available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, from 8pm.
Managers notes
Chelsea manager, Lampard, speaking to Chelsea’s in-house press team, said: “Kante’s not fit. He has a chance for the semi-final on Sunday.
“Andreas Christensen had to come off at half-time [at Sheffield United] with an injury, but he’s back in the squad. The rest is as we were.
“If you don’t turn up or don’t perform it doesn’t matter what momentum you feel you have but having good home form recently is good for confidence. We have to carry on from the Watford game in particular.
“We have to treat Norwich with utmost respect. They have quality players; a lot of games I have seen them this season they have been unfortunate not to get results. That’s the nature of the Premier League, but we are expecting a very tough game.
Norwich City boss, Daniel Farke, said the following to his side’s in-house press core: “Once relegation is confirmed, it isn't possible to enjoy the game, but it is an honour to play in the best league in the world.
“It's our chance to create momentum. We want to look back in ten years and say it was a shame we couldn't stay in the league, but we gave ourselves the best finish.
“Once we have a spotless day, we can even win points against a top side like Manchester City or Chelsea. If players don't reach their limit, we cannot win. We must reach this level against Chelsea. We want to prove when we're good in our topics we are able to win points.”
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