Chelsea face the unenviable task of battling recently crowned Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

The hosts are in ruthless form, having won their last 11 domestic fixtures, whilst the Blues have only triumphed in one of their last nine games.

Today’s clash represents two sides are vastly different ends of the scale and the west Londoner’s defence will need to be faultless if they stand any chance.

Pep Guardiola’s men have netted an incredible 92 league goals this term and Frank Lampard may need to consider dropping Trevoh Chalobah, who has struggled against superior opposition throughout the season.

Should Chelsea drop Trevoh Chalobah vs Manchester City?

As the incoming Mauricio Pochettino attempts to shape a hideously bloated squad, there any many question marks surrounding the 23-year-old, who has struggled for consistency and minutes.

The £50k-per-week man has failed to nail down a consistent starting spot and has only begun 15 top-flight games this term.

As a defender he lacks tenacity, physicality and power - this is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the bottom 34% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the lowest 35% for interceptions per 90, according to FBref.

Chalobah's reading of the game can also be questioned, as he has only registered 0.79 blocks per 90, which means he resides in the bottom 8%.

His lack of defensive acumen was recently ruthlessly exposed by Rodrygo in the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League game against Real Madrid, when he stupidly lunged in on the winger, who eventually finished the move to open the scoring.

This view has been echoed by talkSPORT Alan Brazil, who has previously labelled the Blues academy graduate and some of his backline peers as "diabolical" back in January of this year.

Furthermore, despite his massive 6 foot 4 frame, the homegrown star dismally resides in the lowest 42% for aerials won per 90, to underline his faltering capabilities as a commanding and dominant defender.

The thought of the irrepressible Jack Grealish running at Chalobah with his immense pace, trickery, and technique is a frightening prospect, as the attacker has forged a formidable reputation for pinning back his marker.

Indeed, only Crystal Palace stalwart Wilfried Zaha (2.9) has been fouled more times per game than Grealish (2.8) in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored.

Looking ahead to next season, in terms of quality and potential, Benoit Badiashile and Levi Colwill may well be ahead of the Englishman, who in two full seasons in the first team, has failed to fill anyone associated with Chelsea with any concrete confidence.