Chelsea to unleash Rahman:As they plot Stoke revenge
Jose Mourinho is likely to hand Baba Abdul Rahman his second match in the Premier League as they storm Stoke City, hoping to avenge a loss they suffered in the Capital Cup.
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Rahman’s brilliant display for Chelsea last Tuesday helped them end their run of losses with a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League is expected to be rewarded with another starting role as they seek to turn their Premier League campaign around at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.
Rahman was very lively at left back position as he showed excellent anticipation to make a handful of interceptions and start attacking moves.
Chelsea’s back-line has witnessed a number reshuffles in recent matches following poor form and injuries to Branislav Ivanovic, and inconsistent form by Gary Cahill and John Terry.
With Rahman solid against the talented Andriy Yarmolenko last Tuesday, and Cesar Azpilicueta’s continued competence at the right-back, Mourinho could find solution to his defensive headache as he plots a revenge against Stoke who dumped the Blues out of the League Cup last month.
Stoke, who had not been matched with powerhouse teams for several weeks now, won three straight against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, and Swansea City, but then succumbed to Watford and drew with Newcastle United afterward.
Their last game against Newcastle, one of the bottom three teams, ended up in a goalless draw at the St. James' Park on October 31 as Mark Hughes’ squad can't seem to find the offensive rhythm in the match.
Chelsea, on the other hand, experienced a 1-3 beating in the hands of Liverpool to give the Reds' new manager Jürgen Klopp his first Premier League win for the Anfield residents and while they may improve and possibly claim the points from Stoke, it will be the beginning of the long journey to recovery and the dream of successfully defending the title fades.
