Chelsea must use gold to protect Silva
There was a genuine surprise among Chelsea supporters that Thiago Silva didn't start against Arsenal. Partly because the Brazilian only made a late cameo in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final win over Crystal Palace, but also because Malang Sarr and Reece James were being deployed on either side of Thomas Tuchel's back three.
Sarr hadn't played a Premier League match for Chelsea in over a month – he was not going to fully match fit. And while James was near-flawless in his previous two outings at right centre-back against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, it's not a position he has played in with regularity since his days in the academy. An experienced head alongside the 22-year-old was logical, especially with Antonio Rudiger ruled out through injury.