Chelsea's defensive additions just as important as forward ones

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Alan Smith14 September 2020

All eyes on Chelsea after splashing so much cash. All eyes on Frank Lampard to see how he deploys this impressive array of talent.

Some feel Chelsea should be title contenders with Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz now supplementing an attack that was already quite handy. Yet a quick look at last season’s league table starkly highlights a pressing issue up the other end, one that frustrated Lampard throughout the campaign.

Chelsea, to say the least, were fragile at the back. To illustrate, no other top-four team in a 38-game Premier League season has conceded as many goals as their 54. To make matters worse, the Blues tied with bottom-club Norwich for leaking the most away from home.

With this in mind, you’d have to say that Chelsea’s other signings, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr, are just as important, if not more so, than those further forward. Because if Lampard can’t sort out those glaring deficiencies at the back, the team’s going nowhere.

For me, Thiago Silva is a particularly interesting one. A world-class central defender for so many years, the Brazilian turns 36 next week. It would be a stretch to expect him to play every week, especially in a league quicker than any other. I’m curious to see how Lampard uses his man.

I’m also curious to see how the goalkeeping situation pans out. Lampard dropped Kepa Arrizabalaga towards the end of last season, preferring Willy Caballero. That would have hurt the world’s most expensive keeper. Can Arrizabalaga fight back to show better form?

All in all, then, this is a club to keep a close eye on. It certainly won’t be dull at Stamford Bridge.

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