Tag Archives: Chelsea

Chelsea set to truncate Liverpool, Manchester United move for Premier League star

Posted on by

Chelsea can scupper Liverpool’s reported interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi with a clause to match any bid for the England international.

Liverpool are weighing up a summer approach for Guehi, but the Reds could face competition from Manchester United, reports The Telegraph.

Guehi is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2026, however it is reported that the chances of the 23-year-old renewing his deal is low, which may see Palace part ways with him this summer.

Liverpool are reportedly keen on the England international, but rivals Manchester United could also make a move. The outlet says that if Dan Ashworth is to join the Red Devils as sporting director, the chances of United attempting to lure Guehi to Old Trafford could increase, with Ashworth previously plotting a deal for the player at Newcastle United.

Alongside Manchester United, Liverpool’s interest could be rivalled from Guehi’s former club Chelsea. The report reveals that Chelsea are believed to have a “matching option” for any approaches for the Cobham graduate and, with Thiago Silva set to depart Stamford Bridge in the summer, the Blues could be tempted into making an offer.

Chelsea could hijack any deal, though, due to a clause inserted into Guehi’s contract when he signed for the south Londoners nearly three years ago. The Blues will be notified if an offer is ever made for Guehi, allowing them to match the proposal.

They do not have a buy-back agreement, as they do with several other players, but will also receive a chunk of any figure Palace receive for Guehi in the future. The deal that took the former Swansea loanee to Selhurst Park is believed to have been in the region of £18m.

Eden Hazard identifies manager he didn’t like working under at Chelsea

Posted on by

Eden Hazard has opened up about the one manager that he didn’t like working under at Chelsea.

Hazard played for Chelsea between 2012 and 2019 and enjoyed plenty of success, winning a haul of trophies at Stamford Bridge.

The winger featured under various different managers including Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Rafa Benitez, Maurizio Sarri, Roberto Di Matteo and Guus Hiddink.

Hazard revealed that despite his difficulties with the manager in question, the coach was also the one that got the best out of him during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast with his former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel, Hazard said: ‘I think my best time at Chelsea was with Antonio Conte.

Mikel commented that Hazard didn’t like training under Conte, and the Belgian concurred stating: “Not at all”.

Hazard added that playing matches was the only time he could enjoy himself under Conte as it gave him a break from training.

Mikel and Hazard also recalled how Conte would frequently stop training sessions to give out tactical advice.

Hazard said: “All the week training. I was going out Saturday, I need to enjoy a little bit because I know the day after is going to be back on the training ground. I have to do something, it’s my only 90 minutes I can enjoy.

“You remember him, stopping, tactics, ‘no we have to do that’. Saturday was the best day for me.”

Conte was in charge of Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, with the Blues winning the Premier League title in 2017 and the FA Cup in 2018.

In the 2016-17 season Hazard was named in the PFA team of the year and contributed with 16 league goals.

Hazard scored the only goal from the penalty spot as Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final in 2018.

In total, Hazard played 94 games under Conte and scored 34 goals, while he provided 21 assists.

Pep Guardiola aims dig at Mauricio Pochettino’s comments after Man City draw

Posted on by

Pep Guardiola has seemingly had a dig at comments made by Mauricio Pochettino after Manchester City’s draw with Chelsea.

City were held to a 1-1 stalemate at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for the London club in the first half, and it took a Rodri strike in the final minutes of the contest to rescue a point for Guardiola’s team.

The draw means City are now four points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table. City’s game in hand comes against Brentford in midweek, before travelling to face Bournemouth next weekend.

Pochettino spoke to BBC Match of the Day after the game, where he explained how “pleased” and “proud” he was of Chelsea’s performance. The remarks from Pochettino were put to Guardiola, and the City boss appeared to aim a dig at the Chelsea manager.

“Good, congratulations,” Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day when informed of Pochettino’s comments. “If he believes that, that is good for his team.”

“We knew it [Chelsea would be a challenge],” Guardiola added. “That was a good game.

“We played incredible in the second half. The first half was not our levels but to compete against them teams you have to play 90 minutes not just one half.”

Pochettino explained why he was happy with Chelsea’s performance against City, particularly in the first half. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss went on to label City as the best team in world football with his analysis of the performance.

“I’m so pleased. I told the players I feel so proud,” said Pochettino. “In the last three games we’ve started to create a very good spirit. That’s the way we want to build our team. Today was a very good opportunity to show we’re going where we want.

“The first half was really, really good. We only conceded one chance – against a team like Manchester City who, for me, are the best team in the world.

“In the second half they force you to go deep, but we created chances to score the second goal and things could have been different. It’s important that the players realise that football is really competitive and to reach the level we want, we need to suffer.”

(Watch Video) Enzo Fernandez scores! 90+4’… Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea

Posted on by

As Palace send players forward trying to get an equaliser, they get caught out on the counter attack once again.

Palmer runs into acres of space before threading a ball into the path of Fernandez.

He lifts the ball into the net, beating Henderson at his near post.

Photo Credit: ChelseaFC/ X

(Watch Video) Gallagher scores again! 90+2… Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea

Posted on by

Sterling sets Palmer away down the right wing.

He cuts inside and holds the ball up, waiting for some support and spots Gallagher just inside the box.

Gallagher hits the ball first time and into the bottom corner of the goal.

Photo Credit: ChelseaFC/ X

(Watch Video) Gallagher scores! 48’… Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea

Posted on by

Gusto does well down the right flank and gets a cross into the box.

The ball comes to Gallagher, bouncing just in front of him.

He reacts well and volleys the ball past Henderson in the Palace goal.

Photo Credit: ChelseaFC/ X

Chelsea goalkeeper ruled out of action for four weeks

Posted on by

Eddie Beach, the young Chelsea goalkeeper, has been ruled out of action for four weeks through illness, according to football.london.

The 20-year-old shot-stopper is currently on loan at National League side Gateshead but is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Beach signed for The Heed in the January transfer window after fellow academy goalkeeper Ted Curd was recalled from his loan spell at Hashtag United.

Since his move to the north east, Beach has featured four times for Gateshead in the National League, where he has kept one clean sheet.

The Welshman, who signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2022 from Southampton, has been ill recently, though, and is now expected to be missing for The Heed for up to a month. Beach is rated highly by those at Chelsea, who were keen to keep him in and around the first-team squad for the first half of the season.

The plan was to always revisit his situation in the January transfer window and the Blues felt a loan move would be best for the Wales Under-21 international’s development.

In an exclusive interview withfootball.london last year, Beach spoke about how he has grown as a goalkeeper since he has been at Chelsea and making the most of the club’s facilities and expertise in his position.

“I’ve progressed massively,” he said. “The coaches at Chelsea are unreal; they look and identify things I had not even thought of before.

“That focus and me working one-on-one with the coaches, I’ve improved so much technically in four months. At the same time, I had lots of minutes for the Under-21s, which is such a talented team, and working with the first-team goalkeepers has been incredible. They are role models for me and being so close to the top, it does make you want it more.”

Photo Credit: X

“He’s a different profile”: Premier League manager waxes lyrical about Chelsea star

Posted on by

Fulham manager Marco Silva has waxed lyrical about new signing Armando Broja ahead of the loanee’s potential first start for the club this weekend.

Chelsea sent the Albanian striker to Craven Cottage on transfer deadline day and he appeared off the bench in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Burnley.

Bournemouth head to west London on Saturday and Silva has talked up Broja’s ability to make an instant impact.

“He can add many good things for us, definitely,” Silva told reporters.

“He’s a different profile to what we have in the squad. His capacity, he’s a more dynamic striker to Raul Jimenez. He will add something different to us.

“His qualities are his pace, his capacity to attack in behind, he’s dynamic in his mobility and can cause problems to the back line and we will expect good things from him.

“He’s adapting to our model and is in a happy place.

“This week was important for him. He had to understand what we expect from him on the pitch.”

Manchester United legend heaps praise on Chelsea, says “It’s like the old Chelsea”

Posted on by

Roy Keane heaped praise on Chelsea at both half-time and full-time after they beat Aston Villa 3-1.

The Blues and their boss Mauricio Pochettino came into the FA Cup fourth round replay at Villa Park under huge pressure following Sunday’s dire 4-2 defeat to Wolves.

However, against their in-form opponents – who beat Sheffield United 5-0 at the weekend – Chelsea started quickly, going 1-0 up after a superb finish from Conor Gallagher which capped a fine team move.

Nicolas Jackson made it 2-0, heading home after a delightful cross from Malo Gusto as the Chelsea supporters at Villa Park were sent into dreamland.

And Keane, speaking at half-time on ITV, lauded the first half performance by Pochettino’s side.

“It’s like the old Chelsea,’ he said. “Brilliant, strong, physical and sharp in possession. Good decision-making, two quality goals.

“They have been excellent. Hunting in packs, working in numbers, and they are playing like a team tonight.

“It was a nice bit of composure and a beautiful strike from Gallagher and they’ve been everything you want as a team. Simple but quality.

“The (second goal) is lovely, it’s great quality all round. We questioned Jackson’s finishing pre-game but again it’s a lovely goal.”

He continued: “We’ve questioned Chelsea, but now we question Villa and let’s see what they’ve got. We’re certainly not writing them off and that chance before half time is a warning.

“Villa need something, the Chelsea midfield have been outstanding but Villa need a spark.”

Following the first half display, Enzo Fernandez made it 3-0 early in the second half with a sublime free kick.

Moussa Diaby scored a late consolation, but the Blues ran out 3-1 winners and they will now host Leeds in the fifth round.

And, speaking at full-time, Keane reaffirmed his praise for a performance that Pochettino described as the best of his tenure.

He added: “A brilliant night for Chelsea. They were strong and aggressive, showed quality, and scored three great goals.

“It’s everything you want away from home. There are question marks over Villa and they never turned up tonight.

“Chelsea grew in confidence as the game went on and, it’s amazing this game… it drives you mad. We were praising Villa and saying it was crisis at Chelsea ahead of the game.

“Then they go and play like that. They have to kick on and take it in to the rest of season now.

“But what we saw tonight it was as if they were in Villa’s position chasing the top four.”

Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe “disagrees” with Erik ten Hag over move for Chelsea summer target

Posted on by

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly very keen on landing an elite striker in the summer and is eyeing up Brentford’s Ivan Toney to fit that bill.

The Red Devils brought in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta at the beginning of the season but are already considering adding further firepower to Ten Hag’s arsenal.

The Daily Star claim that Ten Hag is personally keeping tabs on Toney ahead of a potential summer move. The England striker has made his intentions clear that he wants to depart Brentford at the end of the season, with a year then left on his contract even Bees boss Thomas Frank admitted that it would be unlikely that he stays.

Several top Premier League clubs hold an interest in Toney, with United set to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham as they hope to prise him out of London. But Brentford’s £100million valuation may prove to be a stumbling block for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The INEOS chief and United minority owner is aware that significant funds will have to be spent on recruitment in order to return the club to its former glory.

However, he believes that the 27-year-old is being overvalued and would consider a deal closer to £70m. The Brit is also keen to avoid a bidding war for Toney’s services.

Toney’s lack of experience playing in Europe is a factor in Ratcliffe being disinterested at £100m, while being aware that if the striker completes a four or five-year contract at Old Trafford he would have little re-sale value into his thirties.