{"id":1119261,"date":"2019-12-09T18:15:06","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T18:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1119261"},"modified":"2019-12-09T18:15:06","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T18:15:06","slug":"azpilicueta-chelsea-major-problem-defining-champions-league-night","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/azpilicueta-chelsea-major-problem-defining-champions-league-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Azpilicueta calls for Chelsea to address “major problem” ahead of defining Champions League night"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chelsea captain\u00a0Cesar Azpilicueta has issued a rallying cry to his teammates, calling for ‘improvements’ at both ends of the pitch ahead of their\u00a0defining Champions League fixture.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Blues fell to a 3-1 reversal at Goodison Park against a\u00a0Duncan Ferguson-inspired Everton and face a crucial match with Lille in Europe on Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Chelsea’s “major problem”? Five things to know…\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Despite an emphatic start to the season, cracks are starting to appear in Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.<\/li>\n
  • The Blues lost 1-0 to West Ham last week and have now suffered defeat against strugglers Everton.<\/li>\n
  • Chelsea have conceded\u00a017 goals in eight games away from home – more than any other Premier League club.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Azpilicueta and Co face a three-way battle for qualification to the knockout stages in Europe on Tuesday against Lille.<\/li>\n
  • The Chelsea skipper has now called for his side to improve both defensively, and in front of goal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7442672<\/p>\n

    Frank Lampard’s men lost momentum in their pursuit of a top-four Premier League finish over the weekend, as Manchester United reduced the gap to just five points after their triumph in the Manchester derby on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

    But, the west Londoners will have to put domestic concerns to one side as they face Ligue 1 club Lille in a potentially season-defining game at\u00a0Stamford Bridge later this week.<\/p>\n

    Chelsea can secure qualification to\u00a0the first knockout round with a win against Lille, but Azpilicueta says the capital club must first resolve issues at both ends of the pitch if they are to stand a chance.<\/span><\/p>\n

    “Defence is an area where we have to improve but we are not strong enough in both boxes right now,” he told the club’s official website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    “We are conceding a lot and when we arrive in the dangerous areas, we are not clinical enough to score our chances.<\/p>\n

    “It\u2019s a major problem because in football the key is to be clinical in both boxes and at the moment we are not strong enough in both of them so we have to work on that.”<\/p>\n