Chelsea
Tactical Analysis: How Manchester City undid themselves against Chelsea in the Champions League final
After three encounters this season in the Premier League and FA Cup, Manchester City and Chelsea squared off in the biggest match of the European club football season – the Champions League final. Pep Guardiola’s side played Frank Lampard’s men off the park in Stamford Bridge to kick off an incredible winning streak at the very beginning of 2021, but new manager Thomas Tuchel won both in the FA Cup semi-final and reverse league fixture. All of that would not have a big bearing on this match, as City were looking to lift the first-ever Champions League trophy while Chelsea were looking to win their second. After an intense strategic battle, Chelsea emerged 1-0 winners thanks to Kai Havertz’s first-half goal. There were many intriguing tactical aspects to the game, right from player selectio...
Darren Bent: Arsenal need a manager ‘better’ than Mikel Arteta
Ex-Tottenham striker Darren Bent believes Arsenal need to appoint a ‘better’ manager than Mikel Arteta. The Gunners fan thinks his boyhood club should try and attract the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte. Discussing the North London club on talkSPORT, Bent said: “I think we could get better if I’m honest. “I’m not quite sure about the Zidane appointment because he fell into a situation with the best players in the world and won three Champions Leagues. “Pochettino is never going to go to Arsenal because of his Spurs ties. “Conte is probably someone where you go, ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t mind him, but I think he’d end up taking a bigger job because he’s a top manager. read also:Arteta demands Arsenal improvement after missing out on Europe “He won the league in Engla...
PSG president: Super League didn’t have the interests of football at heart
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi says the Super League project was not in football’s best interests, insisting the Champions League must be protected. PSG were not among the 12 founding members of the competition, which pledged to break away from UEFA and compete with or replace the Champions League. The plan collapsed within days of its announcement, as football’s governing bodies and fan protests convinced nine clubs to pull out and Al-Khelaifi believes football is better off without the controversial idea. “Football has been around for years and years. The Super League did not have at heart to defend the interests of football,” he told AFP. “You can envisage changes but not break the tradition that every club can hope to achieve their dreams. “All teams must have the opp...
Mendy starts, Tuchel to make two big changes | Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1) vs Man City
Chelsea face off against Manchester City in the Champions League final on Saturday. The Blues have been in a disappointing run of form recently with three defeats in four games, including the FA Cup final loss to Leicester City. They still secured a top-four spot on the final matchday of the league campaign, which has ensured their place in next season’s Champions League. They don’t have the added pressure for the final but will need to step up with a better performance to deny the Cityzens their maiden title in the competition. Thomas Tuchel’s side have beaten the English champions twice in as many months, but they are still regarded as underdogs for tonight’s encounter. Formation: 3-4-2-1 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy suffered a rib injury against Aston Villa and was substituted midwa...
Aguero starts, Guardiola to make three changes | Predicted Man City line-up (4-3-3) vs Chelsea
Manchester City take on Chelsea in the Champions League final at Estadio do Dragao tonight. City were recently crowned Premier League champions, and they celebrated the title on the final matchday with a stunning 5-0 win over Everton. They are now aiming to secure a maiden continental treble by winning the Champions League title for the first time in their history. It will be an all-Premier League affair in the final. City have lost the last two meetings against the Blues, and they are still favourites to win. Formation: 4-3-3 Predicted Line-up: Ederson has been City’s undisputed choice in goal for the league and European games. The Brazilian recently won the Premier League Golden Boot award for the most clean sheets (19). He is expected to start against the Blues. Guardiola has experiment...
Jole Cole urges Chelsea to sign £65m-rated star with 24 league goals this season
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has urged the Blues to land the signature of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan this summer. The Blues have had an impressive second half to the campaign, and they could end tonight by celebrating Champions League glory. They have made good progress since Thomas Tuchel took charge as manager in January, but there is room for improvement. The club have played with a positive mindset, but they have failed to fully capitalise on the chances created in the final third. Timo Werner has netted just 12 goals in his debut season, and he has been guilty of misfiring several clear-cut scoring chances. The club are lining up a new striker this summer, and it has been reported that they could re-sign Lukaku from Inter for £65 million. Speaking to Sunday World, Cole said that t...
Robin van Persie wants Chelsea boss to give Hakim Ziyech ‘much bigger role’
Former Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has urged Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to give “a much bigger role” to Hakim Ziyech. The 28-year-old has made 39 appearances for the Blues across all competitions since teaming up with the side last summer. The winger has played in a number of roles under Tuchel and Van Persie has expressed his displeasure with this, since the Morocco international does not have a definite role at the club. “It is actually a shame that the creativity of players like Ziyech, Pulisic and Kovacic – who I think is a brilliant player – is not being expressed,” Van Persie told De Telegraaf. “Kovacic is their engine and playmaker. Ziyech also has those qualities higher up the pitch, but he should have a much bigger role in the team. “He is now constantly searching [for a p...
Manchester United and Chelsea target accepts he may have to change clubs this summer
Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde has acknowledged that he could leave the club this summer amid reported interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. The Frenchman is regarded as one of La Liga’s most promising centre-backs, and he has been on the radar of elite European clubs over the past year. Speaking in a press conference at Clairefontaine yesterday, Kounde accepted that he may consider a change this summer, but nothing has been decided yet. He added that he has the ambition to develop at a big club and win trophies. He told RMC Sport: “Regarding my future, it is certain that I may have to change this summer, but nothing is acted on yet, I have not decided anything.” “My goal is to evolve in a big club, to always try to progress and win trophies too. I may have to move, but that’...
Thomas Tuchel on Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante and possible penalty shoot-out
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel faced the media ahead of the Champions League final against Manchester City on Saturday night. The Blues recently ended the league campaign with a defeat at Aston Villa, but they still made the top four ahead of Leicester City. They are assured of Champions League football for next season, which has relieved some pressure ahead of the final in Lisbon. Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante reported for training earlier this week after injuries, and Tuchel has confirmed that he has a fully fit squad. He told Chelseafc.com: “The team news is the best news ever – we have a full squad. We have no injuries, and I hope it stays like that until after we finish today’s training session.” The Europa League final between Manchester United and Villarreal went to a penalty shoot-...
£100,000-a-week Chelsea star confirms Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing him
Antonio Rudiger has acknowledged that he was serious about leaving Chelsea last summer amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain. The centre-back fell out-of-favour under then-manager Frank Lampard, and he was linked with a possible departure before the transfer deadline. However, a deal failed to materialise and Rudiger had no option but to stay with the Blues, where he has revived his career under current boss Thomas Tuchel. Speaking exclusively to Kicker, Rudiger said he was weighing up a move elsewhere as he needed playing time in the lead-up to the European Championships. He added that Les Parisiens and Spurs were interested in him, but the former were the most serious option. Ultimately, he ran out of time to make a decision. He said: “I was really about to leave. ...
£120,000-a-week star ready to fight for his Chelsea future amid Jadon Sancho interest – report
Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi is prepared to fight for his future and has no plans of leaving the Blues this summer, Goal.com reports. The 21-year-old has had another tough season with the west London club, where he has struggled to secure regular playing time. It was recently reported that the Blues were open to parting ways with Hudson-Odoi, with interest from German giants Borussia Dortmund. However, it appears that the England international has no desire to leave and won’t accept being a makeweight for either Harry Kane or Jadon Sancho. The Blues have not seen the best of Hudson-Odoi in recent years, but it is claimed that the club still have confidence in the player’s ability. Sportslens view: Hudson-Odoi has registered five goals and five assists from 37 games this term, but he ...
‘Not good enough’: £170,000-a-week star determined to prove himself at Chelsea next season
Chelsea forward Timo Werner has said that he is determined to prove his worth to the club, and has no desire to pursue a fresh challenge elsewhere. The Germany international joined from RB Leipzig last summer after a sublime season, where he registered 34 goals and 13 assists from 45 appearances. He has failed to replicate the performances this term, contributing only 12 goals and 15 assists from 51 appearances for the west London club. In an interview with The Telegraph, Werner acknowledged that he has been low on confidence, but has never thought about the prospect of moving elsewhere. He said: “When you don’t try, you will never come back to the feeling of how to score and your confidence will never come back. I could say, ‘OK, I stay away from the goal and I stop trying to score.” “And...
