Chelsea
Bielsa confirms two Leeds players won’t play vs Chelsea; three players available
Marcelo Bielsa has suggested in his pre-match press conference today that Pablo Hernandez and Pascal Struijk won’t play against Chelsea this weekend. Leeds have lost four out of their last five Premier League games. The Whites are up against the Blues, who are on a superb run of form under Thomas Tuchel. Bielsa has confirmed that Kalvin Phillips and Rodrigo are both fit, with the England midfielder playing the entire game on Monday against West Ham. “Neither will be able to play”, said Bielsa when asked about the latest update about Hernandez and Struijk. Injury news – Struijk and Hernandez will miss the Chelsea game again. Shackleton is back and Phillips and Rodrigo came through the West Ham game without any issues. Koch could play in the 23s on Monday. #lufc — Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) March ...
Man United, Chelsea interested in £49.5m French star, but his club want to keep him
Kingsley Coman is attracting interest from both Manchester United and Chelsea, but Bayern Munich are determined to extend his contract, Sport1 journalist Florian Plettenberg claims. Coman is currently in his sixth season with the Bundesliga giants, accumulating 39 goals and 48 assists from 188 appearances in all competitions. His career has been plagued by multiple injuries, but he has stayed unscathed for most of the current campaign, which has brought the best out of him. The 24-year-old has registered six goals and 13 assists for the European champions this term, and it is already his best-ever return in a single season. Despite this, there has been speculation regarding his future, and a recent report from The Mail claimed that both United and the Blues are keeping tabs on him. Wh...
Arsenal, Chelsea interested in signing versatile £40m defender from Serie A giants
Arsenal and Chelsea could compete for the signature of Inter Milan defender Achraf Hakimi when the transfer window reopens this summer, The Telegraph reports. The Morocco international made the switch to the Nerazzurri from Real Madrid last year following a successful two-year loan stint with Borussia Dortmund. Hakimi has generally played at right wing-back for the Nerazzurri and has had a superb debut season with six goals and six assists from 33 outings. Despite this, there is speculation that he could be on the move this summer with Inter owner Suning Holdings Group looking for new investors at the club. They recently shut down their operations at Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu and their tight financial situation could see them offload few players at Inter. Hakimi is on the...
‘It’s possible on a football level’: Key Chelsea star linked with summer move to Serie A club
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has been linked with a return to Napoli this summer. The Italy international joined the Blues from the Serie A club on a five-year deal in 2018. His move coincided with Maurizio Sarri’s appointment as manager at Stamford Bridge. The pair had previously worked together at Napoli, coming close to winning the Scudetto with an exciting brand of football. Sarri subsequently guided Chelsea to success in Europa League but left for Juventus after just one season in charge. He was sacked by Juve last August and has now been tipped to return to Napoli, sparking talk from Jorginho’s agent that his client could follow him. Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss, Napoli’s official radio station, Joao Santos said: “Sarri at Napoli with Jorginho is a wonderful idea. The player has two-an...
As Bundesliga clubs suffer losses, Man Utd, Tottenham and co eye summer transfer deals
Clubs in the top two tiers of German football suffered a drop of 5.7% revenue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may lead to increased pressure on Bundesliga clubs in the summer transfer window to sell some of their prized assets. Football in Germany was brought to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, with over a quarter of the season still left to play. The leagues eventually restarted again in May, with all games being played behind closed doors. Bundesliga matches have been played without spectators for the last year The new season kicked off in the middle of September, with spectators still not allowed back into stadiums. This has hampered the revenues of many clubs across the German leagues. The 18 Bundesliga clubs generated revenue of €3.8 billion for the 2019/...
Another injury blow for Liverpool, Barcelona sweating on key player
The Champions League has reached the knockout stage, and the round of 16 features some exciting UCL fixtures. We’ll update this story with reports, results and the latest Champions League highlights as the second-leg games are played. The action is already underway, with Juventus facing Porto while Borussia Dortmund host Sevilla. Juventus XI: Szczesny, Cuadrado, Bonucci, Demiral, Alex Sandro, Chiesa, Rabiot, Arthur, Ramsey, C Ronaldo, Morata. Porto XI: Marchesín, Manafa, Pepe, Mbemba, Zaidu, Sergio Oliveira, Uribe, Otavio, Corona, Marega, Taremi. Can Juve turn around their #UCL last 16 tie? — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 9, 2021 Dortmund take a 3-2 lead into their #UCL second-leg vs Sevilla… Dortmund XI: Hitz, Morey, Can, Hummels, Schulz, Delaney, Bellingham, Dahoud, Reus, Haza...
Boost for Barcelona as Paris Saint-Germain star misses out
The Champions League takes centre stage over the next two weeks as the eight second-leg ties in the round of 16 are played across Europe. The action gets underway on Tuesday with a pair of fixtures that are finely poised. Juventus head into their second meeting with Porto needing to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. Borussia Dortmund will fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals as they hold a 3-2 advantage over Sevilla. Liverpool continue their quest for Champions League glory as they go head-to-head with RB Leipzig on Wednesday. The Reds lead 2-0 after the first leg, and it would be a surprise if they failed to progress to the last eight. Paris Saint-Germain are also well placed to go through as they hold a 4-1 lead over Barcelona. However, PSG star Neymar will miss th...
Carlo Ancelotti: Everton not at Chelsea level
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side had been second best all night during their defeat at Chelsea stating the Meyserside club are not at the same level with the Blues. An own goal by Ben Godfrey and a second half penalty from Jorginho consigned Everton to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, leaving them four points adrift of Chelsea in fourth but with a match in hand still. Chelsea dominated the fixture and could have won by a bigger margin, with Kai Havertz also having a goal ruled out in the second half for handball. And Ancelotti claimed that his side have plenty of work to do before now and the end of the season if they want to somehow battle it out right to the very end with the likes of Chelsea for a Champions League spot. “They played better than us,’ Ancelotti told BT Sp...
Haaland may have to alter Chelsea stance after Dortmund defeat
Erling Braut Haaland. At 5.39 pm on Saturday, his transfer value was at an all-time high. Two goals for Borussia Dortmund at Bayern Munich showcased his quality in front of goal. Step forward Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker demonstrated just who is the number one striker in world football with a hat-trick as Bayern secured a 4-2 victory. Despite the defeat, having averaged a goal-per-game during his time with Dortmund, it is no surprise that Haaland has been linked with all of Europe’s top clubs. However, the reports earlier this week that 20-year-old will only consider a move to six clubs in Europe smacks of someone who is getting ahead of themselves a little. Despite Haaland’s scoring exploits, Dortmund have won just half of their games in the Bundesliga this season. Scoring for f...
Top Four Twists: Can Chelsea Finish Above Man United?
It doesn’t seem too long ago that Manchester United were being mentioned as potential winners of the Premier League title this season. A combination of Manchester City’s imperious form and a drop off in United’s performances over the past few weeks has quickly dispelled that notion. The Red Devils are still in pole position to finish as runners-up to City, but they are now under pressure from the teams behind them. Just four points separate United from fourth-placed Chelsea with 11 games remaining, with Leicester City sandwiched between that pair. Everton and West Ham United are also pushing for a place in the top four and have a game in hand on each of the teams above them. One of United’s biggest concerns at the moment is Chelsea’s resurgence, with Thomas Tuchel sparking a revival in the...
Kovacic and Pulisic start, Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1) vs Everton
Chelsea host Everton in Monday’s Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge. The Blues recently ended a two-match winless league streak with a comfortable 1-0 triumph over holders Liverpool on the road. With the victory, they have gone unbeaten for eight league games since Thomas Tuchel took charge as the manager in January. Their next challenge will come up against the Toffees, who have beaten them in three of the previous four top-flight encounters. The Blues are currently fourth in the standings with 47 points, just one ahead of the Toffees, who have a game in hand. Formation: 3-4-2-1 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy had a comfortable game in goal against the Reds with just one shot on target. The Senegalese will be aiming for his 13th clean sheet of the campaign. The back three has remain...
Tottenham Hotspur will move for £22.5m star, if Chelsea fail to agree extension
Tottenham Hotspur will attempt to sign Antonio Rudiger this summer if Chelsea fail to agree a contract extension with the defender, Football Insider reports. The German was on the radar of Spurs boss Jose Mourinho last summer, and he was fancied to make a loan move to the north London outfit. However, a deal failed to materialise as the Blues demanded a £4 million loan fee on top of his £150,000-a-week wages being paid for the entire season. Rudiger hardly played in the league under manager Frank Lampard, making just four top-flight appearances before the 42-year-old was dismissed in January. Since then, his fortunes have changed with compatriot Thomas Tuchel being appointed, and he has become an undisputed starter in the back three. Rudiger’s current deal expires in June 2022, but th...
