da bet7： Leeds United are back in Premier League action today as they travel to Chelsea, a side they dismantled earlier in the season and one which is certainly there for the taking once again.
da pinnacle： It marks Javi Gracia’s third game in charge, as he looks to maintain his unbeaten start to life in the league with another big result to move them further from the relegation zone. The Whites sit just one point away from 18th-place Everton, meaning that avoiding defeat against Graham Potter’s stumbling outfit could be imperative to them remaining out of the bottom three.
The Blues have won just one game in all competitions since the turn of the new year, and having recently handed three points to Southampton, who the Yorkshire outfit beat last weekend, there is cause to believe that they can now do the same.
To give themselves the best possible chance of disrupting the rhythm of the hosts, perhaps the Spaniard could look to employ a tactical twist in starting two strikers and reverting to the 4-4-2 system he had employed at Watford.
This would therefore allow the lively Georginio Rutter to retain his spot, and for Patrick Bamford to return to hopefully terrorise the opposition’s back line.
Will Patrick Bamford start vs Chelsea?
There could be an expectation that the 29-year-old will be recalled for this clash, given his experience and undeniable quality despite his struggles in front of goal this season.
Should he return to his “dangerous” best, for which he has been lauded in the past by Darren Bent, he could cause untold issues for Wesley Fofana who could replace the injured Thiago Silva.
The Frenchman has made just six league appearances this season due to injury, and Bamford could capitalise on the possible rustiness and inexperience he could bring to their defence.
Also, with their heights being essentially the same, the Englishman offers a fine physical presence to more than compete with the 22-year-old.
This will in turn allow Rutter additional space to utilise his trickery, of which he has only shown brief glimpses since his January move, in the final third.
Whilst it has been a while since the former Chelsea striker has been in hot scoring form, a good performance today could be the kickstart he needs to recapture his form from the 2020/21 campaign. Scoring 17 and assisting a further eight, the lethal marksman was branded a “Leeds legend” by journalist Jake Winderman.
Should the £70k-per-week finisher now step up to help them avoid the drop once again, he could further cement this statement as a general consensus around Elland Road.
For now, Bamford must recapture his best form, having already proven that he has the quality to be an excellent Premier League performer, and help the Whites to the win by dominating Fofana this afternoon.