Chelsea responded to claims of burnout in emphatic style as Christian Pulisic’s perfect hat-trick saw the Blues romp home to a seventh successive victory and laid the groundwork for rotation in the upcoming weeks. Both Pulisic, now the youngest player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea and Reece James shone under the floodlights at Turf Moor and their impressive adaptation has shown Frank Lampard that he has the strength in depth to rest senior members of the squad without compromising the successful implementation of his system.
Wednesday’s opposition Manchester United present a potentially treacherous proposition for the Blues, with the sides contrasting form it would seem easy to forget the ease at which United exploited Chelsea’s high line through the use of willing runners in behind. Granted much has changed since Marcus Rashford captured the imagination of all inside Old Trafford on the opening weekend, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a nack of dominating the midfield battle when his side goes toe to toe with Chelsea.
18-year-old midfielder Billy Gilmour has been touted with replacing Jorginho against United and could be faced with a baptism of fire should Solskjaer opt to prioritise cup competitions as a means by which to gain silverware and a modicum of credibility for his wavering managerial career. Batshuayi, who missed out on a starting spot against Burnley despite his match-winning display against Ajax will also be vying for more minutes.
