Jamie
Carragher says Chelsea's squad are as strong as anyone in the Premier League
and analyses how their improvement at corners could spell success this
season.
Frank Lampard spent £226.1m on new players in the summer as he shaped his
Chelsea squad into his own image. He is starting to reap the rewards too
with the Blues now unbeaten in 13 games across all competitions.
Carragher has been impressed with the recent incomings and highlighted
Chelsea's depth with two different but equally talented starting XIs based
on the weekend's win against Leeds.
He told Monday Night Football: "In these early stages of the season, it
looks like they've recruited really well.
"You can make an argument that it's as strong a squad as anyone in the
Premier League.
"You could maybe argue, or I think it's a fact, that Liverpool and Man City
have a strong XI, but in terms of back-up players right now and other teams
getting injuries - certainly Liverpool - that strength of squad is
absolutely fantastic and it doesn't feel like the team would be weakened too
much no matter who was playing."
It was a sentiment echoed by MNF guest Freddie Ljungberg, who has warned
other Premier League teams to be wary of Chelsea.
The former Arsenal winger said: "I think they have a very good squad. They
have world-class players all over the pitch and even on the bench and I
think they're doing very well. Overall, they play very good football and if
they get some injuries to important players, they still have the back-up so
I think they'll be very dangerous this season.
"We always say give mangers time and this and that, but they gave him time
and he's getting them to gel now. For the European games, they change here
and there but they still play the same football and they do really well.
"I like what they looked like last year and then they filled up with some
more players this summer. They are 100 per cent title contenders, they play
good football and they're entertaining to watch. People have to watch out."
Are corners Chelsea's special weapon?
Delving deeper into Chelsea's improvement this season, Carragher focused on
their defending from corners, with only three conceded from the set-piece in
the Premier League so far.
Carragher explained to Monday Night Football: "I look at it defensively with
my defender's head on. We covered this a lot last season and the problems it
caused Frank Lampard and his squad. Maybe Frank and Jody Morris have done
something different in the summer, another coach in Anthony Barry has come
in as well and may have helped set-piece wise.
"Corners is something they've looked at in the summer and it's a mix of what
we saw at the start of last season and the end of last season. The
goalkeeper has also made a big difference.
"Set pieces could win or lose you the league, but you have to be really good
at them. That's what the Premier League shows. The numbers they're getting
means, set-piece wise, they can win the league.
"There's a lot more to that of course, but if they had the record they had
last season, they can't win the league and history shows you that with the
last ten winners."
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