Chelsea will be looking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories as they face Luton Town this afternoon.
The Blues defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in midweek and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping to secure another three points as he aims to propel his team into the European spots.
With the games coming thick and fast, the Argentinian will surely make some changes to his starting XI and, thankfully, he does have a couple of key players coming back from suspension – Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.
The duo will return to the teamsheet against Luton, and they could cause some chaos to the Hatters' defence without a shadow of a doubt.
Raheem Sterling’s season in numbers
The winger should be unleashed by Pochettino simply due to the fact he scored twice against Luton back in August and his pace could cause plenty of issues for Rob Edwards' side.
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This season, the former Manchester City star has scored only four goals since then, but there is no doubting his attacking prowess and, having enjoyed a night off in midweek, he will return to the team fresh.
Sterling ranks third in the squad for goals and assists in the league this term, while also ranking fourth for big chances created (five) and fifth for key passes per game (1.2), proving that he has been influential across a range of metrics this term.
The winger will come into the starting XI on the left wing and Palmer will also return, being deployed on the opposite flank as Pochettino looks to terrorise Luton.
Cole Palmer’s statistics this season
The youngster arrived from City for a transfer fee in the region of £40m during the summer transfer window and the move is already proving to be a shrewd investment.
Such is his talent, Pep Guardiola waxed lyrical about the 21-year-old during his spell at City, saying:
“Cole has a special quality in front of the box, a talent that is difficult to find. When he has the ball there, most of the time it ends up in the net. It’s difficult to find that.”
Since arriving in London, the 6 foot 2 attacking midfielder has continued to demonstrate the vast promise he first displayed in Manchester, scoring six goals and grabbing five assists in 19 matches, and he is swiftly emerging as one of Pochettino’s key players.
Palmer even ranks first in the squad for key passes per game (1.6) while also ranking first for goals and assists (nine) in the Premier League and for big chances created (seven), indicating that he has settled in at Stamford Bridge fairly well.
The Blues still managed to win without Sterling and Palmer in midweek, yet being able to call on the two of them against Luton – who have won their previous two league ties – could be crucial.
Another win for Chelsea will give them some much-needed confidence heading into 2024 and if they can go on a decent run of form in the coming weeks, they may just sneak into the continental places if results go their way.