Category: Sport

Chelsea returned to winning ways with a hard fought victory over Leicester City, the blues weren’t at their best but two second half goals from Raheem Sterling was enough to secure all three points.

Going into the game Chelsea were without Ngolo Kante (injured) and Kalidou Koulibaly (suspended), both were replaced by Connor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah.

The blues began the game strongly but their dominance on the game was greatly reduced after Connor Gallagher received his second yellow card of the afternoon in the 28th minute, now down to ten men Chelsea managed to keep the game level at 0-0 at half time.

The blues came out blazing in the second half and Raheem Sterling opened the scoring in the 47th minute, he doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 63rd minute before Harvey Barnes pulled one back for Leicester City.

The game ended 2-1 with Chelsea holding on in the dying minutes, it was a hard fought three points by the Chelsea players but a couple of them were exceptional to achieving it, here are my picks of Chelsea’s best players from the game.

1. Raheem Sterling

The £50m signing is starting to show his qualities, he was a menace to the Leicester defence, his pace, skill was vital to help Chelsea counter on the break and he stepped up with two goal when his team needed him the most.

2. Kai Havertz

Although he wasn’t on the score sheet but he was vital to Chelsea’s attack and helped out in midfield once they were down to ten men.

3. Reece James

The right back had been phenomenal for the Blues and today was no exception, in my opinion he was majorly responsible for shoring up Chelsea’s one man deficit, Working tirelessly across the pitch.

His efforts got rewarded with an assist for Raheem Sterling’s second goal.

4. Thiago Silva

Playing alongside the fairly inexperienced Trevoh Chalobah in a game that his team was down to ten men, Thiago Silva showed great skills and ability to keep out the Leicester City attack, he was especially brilliant in the closing stages of the game

Thomas Tuchel praised Chelsea defender Thiago Silva immediately after Saturday’s much-needed victory against Leicester City.

Despite Conor Gallagher’s sending off in the first half, Chelsea ended up securing a 2-1 Premier League victory against Leicester at Stamford Bridge.

Raheem Sterling scored his first two goals for the Blues in the second half to ultimately earn them three precious points. Harvey Barnes did net for the visitors to ensure it was a nervous ending with 10 men, though.

There’s now a trip to Southampton on Tuesday up next for Tuchel’s side in the league.

Thomas Tuchel praised Thiago Silva

Chelsea’s manager did highlight centre-back Silva after the Leicester result, describing him as “one of the best” at defending in his own box.

He helped the hosts keep out Leicester’s late rally with his leadership at the back.

“It suited him (Silva). He likes sitting deep and defending the box – he’s maybe one of the best in the world to defend in the box. We played a back five in the second half to not get caught.” Tuchel said, as quoted by the BBC (5:26pm, 27 August).

With Tuchel deciding to start against Leicester with a back four, Silva lined up as a centre-back pairing next to Trevoh Chalobah.

However, he really shined when restored to his usual position in the heart of a back three when a formation change was needed.

Not slowing down

Silva, 37, is somehow getting even better with age.

The Brazilian defender has been one of the most consistent Chelsea performers in a rocky start to the 2022/23 campaign. For example, he earned huge praise from Alan Smith in the Premier League opener against Everton.

He simply has to be one of the first names on the team sheet.

The only concern is that Chelsea are about to enter a period of playing two games per week, so you can’t expect veteran Silva to play every minute of every match

Raheem Sterling scores magnificent goal after he chipped it over Danny Ward as Chelsea take the lead against Leicester (1-0) at 47 Minutes.

The Blues are a man down, but they’ve managed to take the lead thanks to Raheem Sterling Goal with assist from Marc Cucurella.

The winger found himself pretty isolated on the edge of the box and decided to have a speculative effort.

It hit a Leicester defender and floated in perfectly. This gives us something to hold on to at least, although there’s a long 45 minutes to go yet.

Thomas Tuchel’s defensive switch at half time looks very smart now.

Watch Raheem Sterling first Goal at Stamford Bridge against Leicester City 1-0 below;

 

Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana has practically confirmed his transfer to Chelsea on social media as he reacted to Gary Lineker’s message.

Various sources, including Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, reported that Chelsea and Leicester City have reached an agreement over a transfer fee for the 21-year-old.

The Blues will reportedly have to pay up to £75million, including add-ons, for the French centre-back, which is still an exorbitant price but still below the £80m Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire.

Lineker, however, argued that for the price, Chelsea have got their hands on such a gem.

“Gutted to lose him, but wish Wesley Fofana well,” the former England international wrote on Twitter.

“Every player wants to play Champions League football, so it’s understandable.

“Chelsea fans, you’ve got the most prodigiously talented young central defender in the world. Yes, I believe he’s that good.”

While neither club have confirmed the transfer, Fofana himself surprisingly responded to Lineker’s tweet, pretty much announcing the imminent move.

🥲🙏🏽🙏🏽 https://t.co/HUvCHSXplv

— Wesley Fofana (@Wesley_Fofana3) August 27, 2022

Chelsea and Leicester are facing each other at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, but Fofana has understandably been left out of the Brendan Rodgers’ squad.

Our line-up in London ⚫ 📝#CHELEI pic.twitter.com/YKaW5fRutJ

— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 27, 2022

Ready to take to the pitch! 🔵@ParimatchGlobal | #CheLei pic.twitter.com/0ppB84GKri

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 27, 2022

Wesley Fofana and Youri Tielemans have both been dropped by Leicester City with Ayoze Perez handed a rare start by Brendan Rodgers.

Amid interest from Chelsea, Fofana has been left out of the squad to face Southampton. Rodgers had said he had no concerns over excluding the centre-back if he did not feel he was in the right frame of mind to play.

Tielemans, who is attracting interest from Arsenal, is also missing from the starting line-up, but does get a spot on the bench. Rodgers has opted for a midfield three of Wilfred Ndidi, James Maddison, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

There is only room for three midfielders with Rodgers switching back to 4-3-3 to accommodate the fit-again Harvey Barnes. He plays on the left, with Perez on the right. The Spaniard has not played a single minute so far this season, but did score twice off the bench in this fixture on the final day of last season

At the back, without Fofana, Rodgers sticks with a centre-back pairing of Jonny Evans and Daniel Amartey. Caglar Soyuncu is on the bench.

City (4-3-3): Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Evans, Justin; Ndidi, Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall; Perez, Vardy, Barnes. Subs: Iversen, Thomas, Soyuncu, Mendy, Praet, Tielemans, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Daka.

Chelsea are keen to discuss the possibility of signing Harry Maguire as part of a stunning swap deal with Manchester United that could see Christian Pulisic head the other way to Old Trafford, reports claim. The Blues have been actively looking to sign another central defender to play alongside Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly at the back but so far top target Wesley Fofana has proven to be out of reach with Leicester continuing to dig their heels into the ground.

Now England international Maguire has emerged as a shock target for the Blues, who are once again looking to strengthen their backline after recently splashing £63million on Brighton wing-back Marc Cucurella.

The Mail are now reporting that Chelsea have made a surprise enquiry for Maguire and the Blues would be open to signing the centre-back as part of a swap deal that could see Pulisic move in the other direction.

United have already shown firm interest in the USMNT captain and they are set to explore whether he would be available on loan in the final two weeks of the transfer window.

Now Chelsea have raised the possibility of landing Maguire and bringing him to west London as part of United’s deal for Pulisic.

The report also adds that Fofana remains Chelsea’s priority and there is still optimism the Frenchman is attainable despite Leicester already rejecting two bids.

Fofana has been left out of the Leicester squad that will face Southampton this weekend (Saturday 3pm) as he continues to push for a move to Stamford Bridge.

He is understood to be frustrated by the Foxes’ determination to keep him at the club – even though he is tied down to a long-term contract.

Chelsea are viewed as the ideal next destination for his development by Fofana as he looks to launch a late push for France’s World Cup squad for Qatar.

Brendan Rodgers remain adamant that Leicester will not be selling their central defender, although a third offer in the region of £80m could potentially swing the balance.

Maguire has had a tough time once again this season at Old Trafford after starting in both of United’s opening two defeats to Brighton and Brentford, respectively.

Erik ten Hag is expected to drop his captain for Raphael Varane when Liverpool are in town on Monday night.

The United skipper’s newly-devised partnership with £57m signing Lisandro Martinez has looked unconvincing and was ruthlessly exposed by the Bees, who put four goals past David de Gea in west London last Saturday when they cut Ten Hag’s backline to shreds.

In pre-season, Ten Hag had previously made it clear that Maguire was his first-choice centre-back but it appears that could be about to change…

“We bring him in to not strengthen the squad, but the team,” Ten Hag said of new boy Martinez. “Is Maguire a first-choice? I think he is.

“He’s proved it in the past but he also has to prove it in the present time and in the future. He has played how many times? Sixty times for England? He is a career that is really impressive and I expect a lot from him.

“But there is also internal competition and that is what a club like Man United needs.”

Ten Hag also made the decision to let Maguire keep the armband despite calls for him to elect a new captain – now his future looks unclear…

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Italy starlet Cesare Casadei, revealing that the 19-year-old ‘will initially strengthen our Under-21s squad.’

The Italian midfielder has joined the Blues on a permanent €15m deal from Inter plus €5m add-ons.

Casadei’s first picture as a new Chelsea player had been leaked online this morning, hours before Chelsea’s official announcement.

The Blues have now confirmed the signing of the 19-year-old, revealing that the product of Inter’s academy has signed a six-year deal in London.

“The teenage midfielder is considered one of his homeland’s brightest prospects after shining at youth level for club and country, being part of the Italy side which reached the semi-finals of the European Under-19 Championship in the summer,” Chelsea said in an official statement.

“Casadei is known as a complete midfielder, combining physicality and strength in the air with great timing in the challenge and excellent technique, as well as intelligent movement when arriving in the penalty area to score goals.”

Chelsea’s Head of Youth development Neil Bath has explained the club’s plans for the development of the Italy starlet.

“Cesare is a player we have tracked for some time and we are delighted that he has now agreed to join Chelsea, where he will initially strengthen our Under-21s squad,” he said.

“He is another exciting emerging talent who we are looking forward to seeing develop and progress further as he breaks into senior football in the coming years.”

Casadei won the Primavera title with Inter last season, scoring in the play-off Final against Roma. The 19-year-old scored 25 goals in 66 Campionato Primavera appearances at Inter and has 12 Italy U19 caps to his name.

Welcome to Chelsea, Cesare Casadei! 🇮🇹

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 19, 2022

Thomas Tuchel was non-committal when asked whether Armando Broja could be Chelsea’s centre-forward, saying his loan performances do not prove he is good enough for Chelsea and his injuries are not helping his chances of breaking into the first team.

With the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner this summer and no arrival of a natural striker just yet, there appears to be a good chance for Broja to make an impression at Chelsea this season.

The 20-year-old impressed on loan at Southampton last season, scoring nine goals in all competitions, and has come on as a substitute in both Premier League games for the Blues so far this campaign.

However, he will not be involved when Chelsea go to Leeds on Sunday due to a minor injury, and Tuchel sounds a little frustrated with the striker’s fitness issues.

The German boss says the Albania international has a great chance to prove himself this season, but has warned him that he must do just that, because he has much to prove.

Asked whether Broja could be his number nine this season, Tuchel told a press conference: ‘Yes and no. We know enough about him but it’s one thing to perform on a loan and another to perform at a club like Chelsea.

‘He was injured in pre-season and now injured again, this does not help us have a clear view on what he can give us. I think it’s a huge chance for Armando to have an impact at Chelsea.’

Chelsea have been linked with signing a new striker, most notably Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but nothing seems imminent.

Tuchel certainly wants more additions to his squad, knowing that there will be a huge amount of games to come as they compete on four fronts.

‘I believe we can compete with this group, but it’s one thing to compete once a week and it’s another to compete 60 times a year and three times a week,’ he said.

‘You need to have players who challenge for their place and challenge for their minutes. It does not come down only to tactics and team spirit, it’s also about the depth in the squad and the challenge.’

Raheem Sterling has been overheard in a video on the club’s official Twitter page in disbelief at Reece James’ pace in training.

The pair have been deep in preparation for Sunday’s game against Leeds United at Elland Road, with them looking to return to winning ways at the start of this Premier League season.

The wing-back was on target following a fantastic defensive performance against Tottenham last weekend, with him being teed up for the goal by Sterling.

However, they were unable to hold on and a late Harry Kane header saw the points shared after a pulsating encounter.

Training seems to have been strong again this week for James though, with the club uploading a montage of his highlights to Twitter. At the end of this, Sterling can be heard saying: “He’s Usain Bolt today.”

James shocks Sterling with pace

Thomas Tuchel will again have the decision to make over which positon to play the 22-year-old in, with him likely to be deciding whether or not to drop him back into the back three.

He defended incredibly against a sensational opponent in Heung-Min Son on Sunday, proving he is arguably the best option for that right central defender role.

However, as soon as he pushed on he was in a position to score late in the game, and his attacking game was allowed to prosper to the levels seen last season.

Sterling meanwhile will also surely start against Leeds, with him still looking to open his account since his move from Manchester City in the summer.

He has no doubt impressed in his first two appearances for the club, and looks like he is set to be a crucial member of the Blues’ attack going forward. Despite this, he will no doubt want to get off the mark for his new club before the pressures build too high.

Chelsea could still hypothetically land long-term target Jules Kounde amid Barcelona worry as £85million Wesley Fofana stalemate with Leicester City continues.

The Blues, despite the smart £34m acquisition of Kalidou Koulibaly, are on the lookout for a new central defender as planning for the long-term future of the club is on the agenda for the new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. This hasn’t just been demonstrated by what Thomas Tuchel has said but also with the many acquisitions made for the youth team and academy set-up with Inter Milan’s Cesare Casadei the next through the doors.

“We could use one more central defender; if you look at the numbers and that we play with a back three. The profile of the guys in the three is a little bit different, I admit,” manager Tuchel said in a recent press conference.”We can play with Azpi (Cesar Azpilicueta), who is more a full-back than a central defender. (Marc) Cucurella, it’s possible too [to play on the side of a back three]. Both of them cannot play as the middle central defender. So we could use one more central defender. Let’s see what happens.”

Since these quotes came out, Boehly and Clearlake have been working around the clock to try and prise dream signing Wesley Fofana out of Leicester City. football.london understands that the Blues have seen two bids turned down with £85m required if the Foxes are to entertain selling their 21-year-old star at this late stage of the transfer window.

The player himself is starting to grow frustrated at the stalemate with less than two weeks to go and it’s expected that this one could go right down to the wire. Can Chelsea afford that risk? They may be able to as the player has been left out of the squad for Leicester’s upcoming game against Southampton but that was Brendan Rodgers’ decision. The Athletic have reported that no third bid is imminent as of now.

Alternatively, previous target Kounde finds himself in a similar predicament to one Andreas Christensen was in whereby he could have technically left the club at the end of the month due to their inability to register players due to La Liga’s financial restrains.

Thankfully, from their perspective, they were able to register Christensen and the large majority of their new signings for their Rayo Vallecano opening fixture but the 23-year-old is an exception to this so far.

Amid their difficulties to convince Frenkie de Jong to leave, Barca continue to struggle to register the former Sevilla man and if he isn’t registered by the end of the month, he has a certain clause that could put Chelsea back on the table.

This is because as per Cadena SER have reported, the Les Bleus international has a break clause in his contract that would allow him to walk away at the end of this month. With the World Cup fast approaching, he cannot just waste time with competition for places in Didier Deschamps’ squad intense.

So, in a full circle moment, as it stands, Chelsea could still hypothetically land Kounde by September 1 if Barcelona do not get their situation sorted in time.