Cardiff City v Chelsea: Premier League – Live! | Soccer

Speaking of Barkley, what level of player can it be? It has become fashionable to moan him a bit, and maybe he should be better than he is now, but his ability to run with the ball and his strength on the ball should not be overlooked . He may need more training than most people. The question is whether he will find a manager who can give it to him.

As for Cardiff, I imagine they will be looking to target the Chelsea side backs. Alonso is not really a defender, while Azpilicueta has probably surpbaded his best level today and is more comfortable on the right of the three. No doubt they will also try to "go in and out" of Jorginho, but Barkley appears to me as the one they will have to stop.

I guess Sarri's approach might be wise: Hazard, Kante and Hudson-Odoi would be an undesirable prospect for a tiresome team. But Cardiff could be installed in the game by then and Chelsea could really enjoy some momentum.

Chelsea will play a game against Brighton midweek, but the selection of Sarri seems to rest on the Europa League. I'm sure he does not expect to be at Stamford Bridge next season, and a pot will be there forever; The qualification of the Champions League will not be.

Cardiff are unchanged since their last match; Chelsea are not. The last confection of Maurizio Sarri excludes Kante and Hazard who played internationally. Uh, then agree. This gives us the rare joy of Barkley and Kovacic in the middle of the field, but Sarri will undoubtedly find a way to replace one by the other; that is the genius. Callum Hudson-Odoi is also absent because he lacks form and confidence after excelling in his debut in England.

Cardiff City (a 4-3-3 continental): Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Ecuele Manga, Bennett; Arter, Gunnarsson, Camarasa; Hoilett, Nibade, J. Murphy. Subs: Murphy, Ralls, Zohore, Decordova-Reid, Bacuna, Mendez-Laing, Harris.

Chelsea (a rudimentary 4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rudiger, Alonso; Jorginho, Kovacic, Barkley; Willian, Higuain, Pedro. Subs: Caballero, Christensen, Kante, Loftus-Cheek, Hazard, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud.

Cardiff could stay and keep Neil Warnock as manager; Chelsea could finish third in the league, win the Europa League and bin Maurizio Sarri as manager. Certainly, one of these things is more likely than the other, but the essential element remains: it's a hilarious and venerable hobby.

Expectations are relative, of course, but it tells us more. This reminds us that, while we are regularly informed that this is a "results-oriented enterprise", the reality is that it is a "business based on hope". No matter what happens here, Cardiff spent the season buzzing and struggling to stay awake, while Chelsea spent it on a zzzz and struggling to stay awake; there lies the difference.

All of this makes it difficult to predict what could happen today. If Chelsea plays hard, they'll win, except they almost certainly will not. In this case, if Cardiff manages to keep Eden Hazard quiet, they are likely to get something.

Coup de send: 14h TSB