Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers ended the first-half their Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge all square.
But the hosts have looked more like a cohesive unit in the first half but never really given the impression they might score, despite having a hell of a lot of possession.
Hudson-Odoi has looked their most dangerous player but no one has got on the end of one of his crosses. Wolves are defending well but that’s about all you say about them.
The visitors grew into the game after barely touching the ball early on, but neither goalkeeper has been too busy.
Chelsea ended the half as they began, dominating possession in the face of a stubborn Wolves defence.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has welcomed Thomas Tuchel to the Premier League, describing the new Chelsea head coach an “exceptional manager”.
Tuchel’s appointment at Stamford Bridge was confirmed on Tuesday, a day after Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard.
Guardiola and Tuchel previously faced off in the Bundesliga, where the German was in charge of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund while the Spaniard was at Bayern Munich.
Tuchel won the German Cup with Dortmund in 2016/17, and Guardiola is pleased to see Tuchel in England.
“Welcome. He’s an exceptional manager. I’m pretty sure he will have success. Happy to see him here in this country,” the City boss told a press conference.
“When I was at Bayern Munich I played against him at Mainz. At the last season at Dortmund he did an incredible job, the way Dortmund played was outstanding. We fought a lot as Bayern Munich to win that title.
Brazilian midfielder Oscar says he hopes to return to Chelsea before he retires.
The 29-year-old left Stamford Bridge for Shanghai SIPG in 2017 after making over 200 appearances for the Blues. Oscar told Yellow and Green Football:
I don’t think about leaving China. There is a great project for me here – but, to end my career, I would like to return to Chelsea.
Oscar said: “I built a beautiful story there and went to the Premier League very young, at a time when fans did not trust Brazilian players that much. I helped change that.
“I’ll be a bit older when I try this move again but, as I am playing very well, with good stats, I feel there is still a place for me at Chelsea.”
Inter Milan have performed a dramatic U-turn and will KEEP former Arsenal target Christian Eriksen.
Antonio Conte confirmed the change of stance after the Dane scored a dramatic late winner in Tuesday’s Milan derby.
Eriksen came off the bench and scored the winner with a trademark free kick, his first goal of the season.
After the game, Conte told Rai Sport: “Eriksen will stay here at Inter.
“He’s not leaving because we’re not signing any players, so we won’t let him leave the club.
“I’m so happy for his goal.”
He added that: “For a month now I’ve been saying the same thing: this is the Inter squad. Nobody will arrive, nobody will leave. I keep saying it and nobody seems to believe me.
“We are working with Eriksen on a tactical level to find an alternative for Brozovic, because we don’t have someone like that in the squad.
“Christian is a very intelligent lad, he has quality, he’s part of the project and I am happy he scored that goal. I really wanted him to take it, as we all know the quality he has from set plays.
“He’s very shy, so I hope this goal can shake him up and make him come out of his shell. We all like him, he’s a good lad, perhaps too good! He needs to be more determined.”
Fikayo Tomori posted an impressive display on his debut on loan at AC Milan in a feisty Coppa Italia quarter-final encounter with their neighbours Inter Milan.
They lost the game 2-1, but Tomori having come on as an early first half sub, put in an impressive performance and looked confident for a player who has rarely played over the last couple of seasons.
As MilanLive recalls, his best intervention was on Lukaku, shortly after the start of the second half. A low cross came from the right and Tomori reached out and intercepted the ball that was heading goalwards off Lukaku. His physicality was fundamental to mark the Belgian in open play and on set pieces.
The newspapers also gave Tomori a great deal of praise. La Gazzetta dello Sport went cautiously with a rating of 6 out of 10 which is followed by an excellent description of his game.
Tuttosport and il Corriere dello Sport gave him a 6.5 as it was not easy to come into such a situation and do well.
La Gazzetta stated: “Debut with personality, this cannot be denied. A couple of entrances to make it clear that he is the defender. He could also have failed, given the situation, it was his debut, it was the derby, but he held up. And the impression is that he will be useful.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic reportedly denied he racially abused Romelu Lukaku, as the ‘voodoo’ comment was referencing a specific incident from his Everton days.
The former Manchester United teammates clashed bitterly during the Coppa Italia quarter-final, which saw Inter beat Milan 2-1.
It seems Lukaku invited Ibrahimovic to meet him outside later, Ibrahimovic laughed and said: “OK, call your mother.”
This set off the Belgian, then Zlatan clarified with: “Do your voodoo s***.”
This has been read as a racist phrase, but Sky Sport Italia say representatives from Milan assure Ibrahimovic denied any racist insult.
It’s believed Ibrahimovic was referencing a quote from Everton major shareholder Farhad Moshiri, who said in January 2018 that Lukaku had turned down a new contract because of a ’voodoo message.’
“We offered him a better deal than Chelsea and his agent came to Finch Farm to sign the contract,” said Moshiri three years ago.
“Robert [Elstone, Everton’s chief executive] was there, everything was in place, there were a few reporters outside, then in the meeting Rom called his mother.
“He said he was on a pilgrimage in Africa or somewhere and he had a voodoo and he got the message that he needs to go to Chelsea.”
Lukaku had denied this story, and indeed ended up joining Manchester United rather than Chelsea.
The Belgium international threatened to sue Moshiri for the claim.
“Romelu’s decision had nothing to do with voodoo. He distances himself from these beliefs and this statement and will now see what judicial steps can be taken in relation to them,” a representative told BBC Sport.
“Romelu is very Catholic and voodoo is not part of his life or his beliefs. He simply had no faith in Everton and no confidence in Mr Moshiri’s project. That is why he did not want to sign on any condition. He wanted to make the next step in his career and wanted the security to be able to leave.”
Meanwhile AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has confirmed the 39-year-old Swede apologised to his teammates after the game.
“Zlatan apologised,” Pioli said at the post-match press conference. “Like a great champion, as he is.”
Zlatan had scored the opener on the night and took his tally to 14 for the season so far. The suspension in the Coppa Italia will not affect the veteran in the League.
Frank Lampard has been given some advice by Carlo Ancelotti after his Chelsea sacking: Get used to it.
And there is little sympathy as Ancelotti said: “At the end, it’s not sad for Frank — another door will open for him. Look at me. I was sacked everywhere!”
He said: “It’s not unusual and Frank should know this.
“To be sacked is part of the job — we all have to understand this. Chelsea are no different to other clubs.
“Every club has its expectations and when things don’t go the way they want, they can’t change 20 players. So they change the manager.”
Thomas Tuchel took charge of his first Chelsea training session – after jetting in as the whirlwind replacement of sacked boss Frank Lampard.
The German, who will be in the dugout for tomorrow’s game against Wolves, got a first look at his Blues squad under the lights at Chelsea’s training ground as he quickly set about implementing his football philosophy.
🎥 Our cameras on Thomas Tuchel's first training session as Chelsea boss! #WelcomeTuchel
Tuchel’s first job will be deciding his playing formation after Chelsea dropped to ninth with five defeats in eight games.
He was soon pointing in earnest and dishing out instructions after meeting his new squad in practice at the Blues’ Cobham training ground.
But he might have exchanged a few awkward pleasantries with Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva, 36, who was reportedly upset with the manner of his PSG exit over the summer.
Romelu Lukaku lost his cool when Ibra told him: ‘Go do your voodoo s***, you little donkey’ during the first half of Inter-Milan.
Lukaku and Ibrahimovic, who were once at Manchester United together, had to be separated by teammates on the stroke of half time of the Coppa Italia quarter-final clash.
The Inter forward was physically restrained by his teammates.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Ibra racially insulted Lukaku calling him ‘little donkey’.
“Go do your voodoo s***, you little donkey,” Ibra reportedly told Lukaku.
Lukaku risponde con un ottimo: “I fuck you and your wife, you want to speak about my mother?” pic.twitter.com/3Y4N9jX2br
The Belgian striker hit back at his former Manchester United teammate after going face to face with him.
“F*** you and your wife, you want to speak about my mother?”
Meanwhile, Inter sources quoted by Rai, via Football Italia, say their striker was “heavily insulted” by the Swede.
Lukaku apparently told Ibra “stop laughing at me” while Ibra hit back: “Come on then, let’s go” while grinning.
Even with the referee Paolo Valeri booking both of them, somehow it was not enough to stop the dispute.
When the match official blew the whistle for the half time break, Ibra quickly made his way into the tunnel, while Lukaku was physically restrained by his teammates.
The Belgian continued insulting Ibra while his teammates were trying to stop him.
