Chelsea
The best and worst transfers between Premier League rivals
Title contenders often follow a golden rule in the transfer market: don’t sell to direct rivals. However, there are a fair few occasions where this rule hasn’t been followed. Sometimes the player wanted to leave; other times the club received an offer they couldn’t refuse. Some of these players went on to be superstars at their new clubs, bringing in almost instant success. Others were…well…a bit rubbish. In no particular order – here we go: Carlos Tevez (Manchester United to Manchester City, £25m) 1/2 OTD in 2009 Carlos Tevez signed for Manchester City. This ‘Welcome’ poster soon appeared close to Manchester’s city border on Deansgate- pic.twitter.com/rTPWEmDsNO — Dr Gary James (@GaryJamesWriter) July 13, 2017 After winning two titles and a Champions League at Manchester...
Thiago Silva reveals ‘nice surprise’ from Frank Lampard after Chelsea move
Thiago Silva says a “nice surprise” from Frank Lampard immediately assured him he made the right choice when joining Chelsea over the summer. The Brazil defender moved to the Premier League shortly before his 36th birthday, bringing to an end his eight-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain. Silva says he had no doubts about his decision to head to Stamford Bridge, but appreciated a gesture he received from his new manager as he prepared for the move. What did Lampard send Thiago Silva? “As soon as I said yes, he sent me a picture of us both shaking hands as national team captains in 2013,” Silva told FourFourTwo. “It was a nice surprise. He understood exactly what I needed at this stage of my career, probably because he had made a similar move when he was also 36, from Chelsea to Manchester Ci...
Forget about it – Upamecano will not go to Chelsea or Liverpool
At the end of the 2021 January transfer window, Sky Sports did an exclusive interview with Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about their pursuit of RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano. That is where Rummenigge confirmed that David Alaba was definitely leaving and that Bayern were one of three clubs, alongside Liverpool and Chelsea, that were interested in Upamecano. That is where all the chatter in the last week about Chelsea and Liverpool being interested in Upamecano comes from although, to be fair, the defender has been kept in the news by websites (that includes us), pundits, media and his agent, all doing a fantastic job of getting us to discuss where he’ll go this summer. Upamecano departure confirmed Upamecano’s departure is all but confirmed, with Sky (last week) and Telefoot (...
West Ham star unlikely to figure, Tottenham face tough test
The FA Cup continues apace this week, with the fifth round line-up featuring some intriguing ties over the next three days. We’ll update this story with reports, results and highlights as the games take place. Manchester United booked their place in the next FA Cup draw with a 1-0 home victory over West Ham United – Scott McTominay bagged the winner in extra-time. Burnley crashed out of the competition as they were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth at Turf Moor – Sam Surridge and Junior Stanislas got the goals. There are four games on Wednesday, with Swansea City versus Manchester City kicking things off at 5.30 pm. Leicester City versus Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United versus Bristol City are next on the agenda and both home teams look good bets to make progress. The final fixture ...
Report: Chelsea star set for contract talks, transfer expert tips him to stay
Chelsea want to keep Thiago Silva at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of this season. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Blues are willing to trigger a clause to extend his contract by another year. The 36-year-old has largely been impressive for Chelsea this season, racking up 21 appearances and weighing in with a couple of goals in all competitions. SL View New Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is an admirer of Silva, with the pair previously enjoying a successful period together at Paris Saint-Germain. The defender has settled well into English football, providing much-needed experience to Chelsea’s backline. Silva hasn’t been totally flawless, with his error against West Bromwich Albion earlier in the campaign his most notable blunder. However, mistakes have been few and far b...
The worst title defences in Premier League history
Liverpool’s title defence hasn’t exactly gone to plan. Following a severe injury crisis in defence which saw Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, the Reds find themselves ten points off the summit. Sunday’s 4-1 home defeat to leaders Manchester City compounded their misery further, leaving them with 40 points – 27 fewer than they had at this stage last season. This is statistically the biggest drop off from a title winner in the history of the English top flight. 27 – After 23 games this season, Liverpool (40) now have 27 fewer points than they did at the same stage last season (67), the biggest drop by any reigning champion at this stage of a campaign in English top-flight history. Molehill. #LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/lrwiL8Ndko — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 7, 2021 However, maybe it’s...
Report: Thomas Tuchel provides update on Thiago Silva’s injury, explains Pulisic absence
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has provided an update on Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva after the duo missed the Premier League clash against Sheffield United last night. Silva picked up a thigh injury against Tottenham Hotspur earlier last week and he was always a big doubt to face the Blades on the road. As such, there were no surprises over his absence for Sunday’s game where Andreas Christensen took his place in the back three. Speaking after the Blues’ 2-1 win, Tuchel revealed that Silva is working hard to make his comeback and may return for the Southampton trip on February 20. “We are doing everything and I know Thiago will do everything to be ready as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying on the club’s official website. “Thiago, we are fighting every day. He will be for sure o...
Kante and Giroud start, Predicted Chelsea line-up (3-4-2-1) vs Sheffield United
Chelsea will be aiming to register a third straight Premier League win when they face Sheffield United on the road on Sunday night. The Blues have impressed under new boss Thomas Tuchel and they have picked up seven points in the last three games without conceding. They are currently four points adrift of Liverpool, who are occupying the final Champions League spot. Formation: 3-4-2-1 Predicted Line-up: Edouard Mendy has emerged as the Blues’ undisputed starter in goal in the Premier League since his arrival from Rennes last summer. He should keep his place ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger have kept three clean sheets on the trot while playing as the back three. The combination will break with Silva out with a thigh problem. Andreas Christense...
Premier League 2020/21 Week 23: EPL Results & Table
The 23rd round of fixtures in the Premier League features some eyecatching fixtures, particularly towards the top of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The eyes of the football world will be on Anfield on Sunday as Liverpool go head-to-head with Manchester City. The Reds have struggled to produce their best form over the past few weeks and desperately need a victory to keep themselves in the title race. The action is already underway this weekend, with Aston Villa meeting Arsenal. 🗣️ #AVLARS pic.twitter.com/6yRZdlXKvc — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 6, 2021 The afternoon and early evening line-up on Saturday is fairly uninspiring, but things should pick up in the fina...
Chelsea star dismisses exit talk: ‘There was no reason to look for a new challenge’
Chelsea star dismisses exit talk: ‘There was no reason to look for a new challenge’ – originally posted on Sportslens.com Antonio Rudiger has denied that he urged Chelsea’s board to sack Frank Lampard as manager. There have also been accusations regarding his relationships with captain Cesar Azpilicueta and some of the club’s academy players. Speaking to The Athletic, the 27-year-old described the rumours as ‘nonsense’ and dismissed claims that he wanted to leave the club. “Just to make this clear – I would have stayed at Chelsea no matter the name of the manager,” Rudiger said. “I was not always happy about the results, but I felt that I’m still an important part of the squad. “After a difficult situation for me around autumn last year my playing time increased a lot. “There w...
Premier League 2020/21 Week 22: EPL Results & Table
The 22nd round of fixtures in the Premier League features some intriguing match-ups at the top and bottom of the table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. Manchester United bounced back to form in style with a 9-0 home victory over Southampton – Anthony Martial (2), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Jan Bednarek (OG), Edinson Cavani, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James were on the scoresheet. Goals by Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho secured a 2-1 home win for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Arsenal. Sheffield United recovered from a goal down to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Bramhall Lane – Jayden Bogle and Bill Sharp were on target for the Blades. Jairo Riedewald and Gary Cahill got the...
Arsenal clearout, last-ditch Liverpool – the best of January transfers across Europe
It’s been a rather quiet January transfer window. Previous years have seen the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Virgil van Dijk make big money moves, but nothing of that magnitude happened this time around. Nonetheless, while there wasn’t a headline-making move, there were still some exciting deals being made. Here’s a look at the best signings of the 2021 January transfer window. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal to Fenerbahce, free transfer) Ozil in his first training session at Fenerbahce Once one of the world’s best playmakers, Mesut Ozil’s time at the Emirates had gone sour, having been left out of Mikel Arteta’s 25-man squad back in October. Sitting on a contract estimated to be worth £350k-a-week, the World Cup winner couldn’t be left to sit in the reserves much longer. Along came Fenerbahce, who off...
