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Chelsea get their UEFA Conference League campaign kicked off on Thursday, as they take on KAA Gent at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian side have won three of their last five games, drawing once, and losing once. Gent have managed to score 11 goals in these past five games, conceding five times.

Enzo Maresca’s men come into this game having won their last four games in all competitions, scoring 13 and only conceding twice in those past four games.

But Chelsea could be set for a whole host of changes, one of them which could see a poor performer from the weekend dropped to the bench.

Why Robert Sanchez needs to be dropped

Cole Palmer stole the show on Saturday afternoon but his teammate Robert Sanchez certainly tried his hardest to make sure the Blues didn’t walk away with all three points.

Given a 2/10 match rating by The Standard, it was an incredibly poor display against his former club, Brighton, despite Chelsea winning 4-2.

Indeed, Sanchez made two big errors, both of which led to goals that very nearly cost the hosts the victory.

One of those mistakes saw the stopper hand the ball straight to Carlos Baleba who was only too happy to oblige and find the back of the net.

On the whole, Sanchez has revived his career at Stamford Bridge, however, managing to keep two clean sheets already this season, with 1-0 and 3-0 victories over Bournemouth and West Ham.

In Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Bournemouth, the gloveman was particularly impressive, saving a penalty, and making seven total saves in the game, putting in one of his best performances since signing.

Chelsea's 8/10 star was just as unplayable as Palmer vs Brighton

He completed six dribbles and won 7 duels

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 28, 2024

Despite that, he is in need of a kick up the backside and potentially some pressure from his goalkeeping colleagues could do the job.

The goalkeeper to replace Sanchez

Chelsea signed 22-year-old Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal over the summer for a fee of around £20.7m. Last campaign, Jorgensen made 37 appearances for the Spanish side, conceding 64 goals, and keeping six clean sheets.

But it isn’t his shot-stopping that stands out. The Danish star is well-known for being good on the ball, comfortable recycling play and passing it around the back during build-up patterns of play.

Jorgensen has already made three appearances for the Blues, starting both of their UECL Qualifiers, and their EFL Cup game against Barrow. In those three fixtures, Jorgensen has conceded twice, and kept two clean sheets.

The 22-year-old has been starting cup competitions, whilst Sanchez starts the Premier League matches, but if Jorgensen continues to impress, and the Spaniard makes more mistakes, the roles could eventually be reversed.

The stats tell us Jorgensen faced more shots last season, therefore managing to make more saves, and have a higher save percentage. However, Sanchez did keep more clean sheets, and concede fewer goals per 90, but this can also be attributed to the level of defence in front of him, compared to their summer signing.

The Spain international managed more passes attempted, and a higher pass completion, but again, these metrics must take into account the team he is playing for, Chelsea being a more possession-based side, who had more touches and short passes in their own half than Villarreal last term.

Maresca could turn to Jorgensen in the Premier League soon, if he thinks the 22-year-old is ready, especially if Sanchez has more games like the Brighton one, where two goals came from his mistakes.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Heading into the international break, West Ham sit 12th in the Premier League, having accrued eight points from their opening seven games, winning twice, drawing twice, and losing three times.

Julen Lopetegui wants to make the Hammers a more ball-dominant side, but so far, his side have averaged just 45.4% possession in the league, the sixth worst in the division, with an 83.0% passing accuracy (11th out of 20).

Many of West Ham’s issues stem in midfield, with a lack of mobility, a lack of progressive passers in deep areas, and an overall mindset that still seems better suited to Moyes’ style of football than Lopetegui’s

West Ham's midfield woes in 2024/25

West Ham has set up with a double pivot and often one number ten this season. Most commonly, that has been Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta, who have started as a midfield trio on four occasions in the Premier League already in their seven games played.

The other midfielder in question is the original Declan Rice replacement, Edson Alvarez, who was signed from Ajax in 2023 for around £35.4m, as the Hammers looked to rebuild their midfield with the loss of Rice.

Alvarez made 42 appearances for the club last season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and contributing to nine clean sheets in his 3,155 minutes played.

Yet, in the new term, the Mexican has underperformed, notably being sent off in the League Cup defeat to Liverpool last month.

Things could have been very different, as there was another name on David Moyes’ list to replace Rice, a player who has just earned a big move to Bayern Munich this summer and has been going from strength to strength.

Who West Ham wanted to replace Rice

Before the Hammers signed Alvarez, West Ham were quoted a £60m fee for ex-Fulham midfielder, Joao Palhinha, according to GOAL, as they were searching for their Rice heir.

Due to such a high fee, West Ham began to look elsewhere, going through some other names before acquiring the Mexico international.

Palhinha has since gone on to secure a big move to Bayern, joining the German giants for a deal worth around £47.4m. The Portugal international has slowly settled into life in Germany, making six appearances in all competitions, playing 154 minutes of football, and contributing to three clean sheets.

But, if we cast our minds back to one of his best seasons yet, 2022/23, how does he compare to the aforementioned names?

Palhinha, described as a “destroyer” by Statman Dave, clearly shows his defensive qualities in these metrics, making a crazy 4.29 tackles per 90 during the 2022/23 season for Fulham, nearly double both Alvarez and Rice. He also made more blocks, and only 0.10 fewer interceptions than Rice, which shows the type of midfielder Palhinha is.

Alvarez, however, did produce better passing metrics, making the most passes into the final third, the most progressive passes, and having the best pass completion. This could have been part of the decision to go for the Mexican, as he could provide those on-ball qualities closer to what Rice offered to the side.

This season, West Ham have already conceded 11 goals, eight of these coming from “open play”, and a midfield option like the Portuguese could have offered the Hammers much more protection in front of their backline, thus minimising chances for the opposition, and perhaps even reducing their chances conceded.

It’s safe to say we can file this as one that got away for the Irons.

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says it is a "nightmare" preparing to face a Pep Guardiola team ahead of their crunch clash with Manchester City.

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• Real Madrid face Man City in UCL
• Ancelotti heaps praise on Guardiola
• Calls him a "nightmare" to face

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ahead of Madrid's trip to City for the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie, manager Ancelotti has called Guardiola the best coach in the business and that his innovations have contributed so much to football.

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  WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

  He told reporters: "What I can say is that I think he [Guardiola] is a coach who has contributed a lot to football: possession, attacking play, pressing, and coming out from behind. He is an innovator in football and I have a lot of respect for him. He is one of the best, if not the best. Every time we face each other, it is a nightmare to prepare the matches, because he always has ideas that make you think."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This is a heavyweight clash between, arguably, two of the game's greatest managers and the two most recent Champions League winners. Madrid will be favourites to progress due to City's troubles this season but Ancelotti will be wary of what Guardiola could pull out of the hat for this one.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  City host Madrid on Tuesday in the first play-off tie, before travelling to Spain for the return game the following Wednesday.

An in-form Chelsea duo face being axed by head coach Enzo Maresca over the coming weeks, in favour of an “underrated” player in his squad, as the Italian plots a slight shake-up to his starting line-up.

Chelsea name 22-man Panathinaikos squad with stars rested

The west Londoners take on Greek heavyweights Panathinaikos in the UEFA Europa Conference League this evening, with Chelsea confirming their 22-man squad for the encounter last night.

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A host of star players like Reece James, Levi Colwill, Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto have been left in London, while the likes of Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana also won’t play a part tonight after being left out of their squad for the entire competition.

Instead, Maresca has made room for a plethora of academy graduates in Lucas Bergstrom, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Tyrique George and Sumatra Mheuka – who could all get a chance to shine and show supporters what they’re capable of.

Chelsea soon have a double-header against Newcastle United, facing the Magpies in a Premier League clash on Sunday before taking on Eddie Howe’s side again in their Carabao Cup last 16 clash midway through next week.

Maresca appears to be resting his most crucial men for those encounters, meaning some fringe stars need to grasp an opportunity to impress this evening. With Mykhailo Mudryk battling for his Chelsea future, a stellar performance against Panathinaikos would do wonders to lift the pressure off his shoulders.

Unfortunately, Maresca won’t be able to call upon exciting youngster Josh Acheampong, amid an ongoing contract dispute at Stamford Bridge which is threatening to ruin his career there.

Chelsea reportedly believe Acheampong is attempting to leave behind their back, as his representatives offer him around to interested sides, with Maresca shedding light on the situation on Wednesday.

“It’s a shame. I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be very important thing for Chelsea,” said Maresca’s on Acheampong’s situation.

“It’s so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future. The most important thing at this stage is to get minutes, enjoy and to play football. For him, I don’t know the people who are trying to solve the problem, if they are helping him or not. I really like Josh and I would really like to have him here with us but it is not possible.”

While Acheampong won’t have an opportunity to play tonight, there is a real chance for winger Pedro Neto to stake a claim in the starting eleven.

Sancho and Madueke in danger of Chelsea axe for Neto

According to GiveMeSport, Neto is on course for a chance to stake his claim in the Chelsea starting XI on a regular basis.

The Portugal international is set to be handed Maresca’s nod for their clash against Panathinaikos, and if he impresses, it is believed Neto could be set for a more prominent starting role in the coming weeks.

It is even believed that the likes of Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke could be dropped in favour of Neto, despite the duo being on a total of around £150,000-per-week impressing in the early stages of this season.

Called “underrated” by Fabrizio Romano, Neto impressed during a brief cameo in their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, but it looks as if the 24-year-old former Wolves star could be seen more often very shortly.

Harry Kane remains optimistic and sees the bright side after Bayern Munich display against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

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• Bayern shared the spoils with Leverkusen
• Kane had a tough outing in front of goal
• Striker chose to focus on the positives

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern endured a frustrating evening at the BayArena, failing to break down Leverkusen in a goalless Bundesliga draw. The performance was far from inspiring, with Vincent Kompany’s side struggling to create any clear-cut chances throughout the match.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The first half was particularly concerning for Bayern, as they failed to register a single shot on goal – an unprecedented statistic on record in the Bundesliga. Kane's frustration was further compounded when he received a heavy blow to the face while attempting a header from an offside position just before half-time. Even when the ball did reach him, Kane appeared off the pace and failed to provide a consistent attacking threat.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  Despite the performance, Kane remained optimistic after the match, choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the result.

  "If you can’t be at your best then don’t lose! Clean sheet and a point and we move on!" he wrote on Instagram.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Despite the draw, Bayern remain firmly in control of the Bundesliga title race, sitting eight points ahead of second-placed Leverkusen with 14 games remaining. Attention now shifts to Champions League action, where Bayern will face Celtic on Tuesday in the return leg of their knockout play-off tie. Having secured a 2-1 victory in the first leg, Bayern will look to finish the job and advance to the next round of Europe’s elite competition.

Aston Villa are considering making a move for a £15 million rated rising star from South America, who is happy to leave his current club, according to a recent report. The Villans are flying high both in the Premier League and the Champions League, but as they have done in previous transfer windows, they plan to be busy once again with new arrivals in 2025.

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Aston Villa transfer news

The January transfer window is still a couple of months away from opening, but Villa are already getting plans in place, as they look to be active once again. A recent report has revealed that Monchi has sent Villa scouts to watch defender Nathan Zeze, as they plan to make a move for the player in 2025. The Nantes teenager has emerged on the radar of a few clubs around Europe, with Liverpool and Chelsea also interested in his services.

As well as looking at Zeze, Villa are also interested in Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz, and they are planning to make their move in the January transfer window. But he may not be the only forward-thinking player they look to sign, as the Midlands side are also continuing to be interested in signing Villarreal winger Alex Baena.

Monchi, Unai Emery and the Villa recruitment team are assessing loads of options, and they are now being linked with a move for the type of target English fans would usually associate Brighton with.

Aston Villa leading transfer race for South American gem

According to journalist Jonathan Riniti, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are considering a move for Boca Juniors player Kevin Zenon. The 23-year-old came through the academy at CA Union and, after impressing with them for a couple of years, he made his move to Boca Juniors in January of this year.

Zenon has continued to impress with his new side, and those performances have caught the eye of Villa, as well as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. However, Villa are said to be leading the race for the winger, who is already preparing to leave the Argentinean side.

Riniti said on Villa’s interest in Zenon: “Aston Villa wants Zenón. They have been following him since before the Olympic Games, so they are considering presenting an offer to get him out of Boca and make him a teammate of (Emi) Martínez.

“Boca knows that the player is already considering leaving the club, despite the fact that the directors were told the opposite. The rejected offer of $18m from Germany marks the floor that the club wants to get rid of the former Unión player.”

Zenon has a release clause worth 15 million dollars (£11.5m), but Villa or any other side that wishes to sign the winger will have to pay 20 million dollars (£15m), as Boca Juniors president Juan Roman Riquelme is putting up a fight when it comes to selling one of his players.

Veteran Brazilian forward Hulk has shown that he still has it by hammering a 35-yard free-kick into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

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• Striker still going strong at 38
• Captain of Atletico Mineiro
• Intends to play on into his 40s

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Brazil international, won won 49 caps for his country, is now 38 years of age. Much like all-time greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he is showing no sign of slowing down in what could be considered the twilight of his career.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hulk, who once represented the likes of Porto and Zenit in Europe, is now on the books of Atletico Mineiro in his homeland. He fills the captain’s armband there and has maintained a remarkable strike rate that has seen him register more than 100 goals across the last four years.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  His latest strike was a trademark effort from distance. Hulk has always possessed a rocket of a left foot, and he showcased that once again when taking on Tombense. His first of the game in a 2-0 win came from the penalty spot, before crashing a spectacular set-piece in off the frame of the goal.

The U.S. will take on their historic rivals in two matches four days apart in St. Paul and St. Louis

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• USWNT to face China PR in pair of matches
• Matches at Allianz Field and Energizer Park
• Legend Becky Sauerbrunn will be honored in game two

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The U.S. women's national team will face China PR in two friendly matches, playing at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 31 at 5:30 p.m. ET and at Energizer Park in St. Louis on June 3 at 8 p.m. ET.

  It will be the first meeting between the two nations since the end of 2023. China is currently in preparation for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup that will serve as qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the the USWNT is preparing for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying that begins in fall 2026.

  The two countries are historic rivals, as they met in two world finals in the 1990s and have since been competitive foes on the international stage.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  “I love these games because they combine some rich women’s soccer history with the present, with both countries going through transitions in preparation for ’27 World Cup qualifying,” said U.S. coach Emma Hayes. “But our process continues and it’s a patient and comprehensive one. It’s up to our coaching staff to give players opportunities – opportunities they have earned – and it’s up to the players to show us they can perform at the highest levels. We are looking forward to seeing the players show their talents against an excellent team in two fantastic soccer venues.”

  The second match, in St. Louis, will feature a pre-game celebration to honor retired legend Becky Sauerbrunn. The greatest female player in St. Louis history, she played 219 times for the USWNT – 10th all-time for the program. She featured in three Olympics, three women's FIFA World Cups and would have played in a fourth, but a foot injury prevented her from participating in 2023.

  A former USWNT captain, Sauerbrunn will also be a part of the TNT broadcast team for the match.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The U.S. and China have met 60 times, with China claiming victory nine times. Their last victory over the USWNT came in 2015.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE USWNT?

  The USWNT take on Brazil in April on April 5 and again on April 8.

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign a “magnificent” talent who scouts believe plays like Jack Grealish, according to a new report. The Villans have had a few poor results in the last week, but Unai Emery will be keen to finish strong as they head into the November international break.

Why there's talks of Douglas Luiz returning to Aston Villa on loan

Villa may be offered the chance to re-sign a former player in January after his poor start at his new club.

By
Brett Worthington

Nov 5, 2024

Aston Villa transfer news

It has overall been an excellent campaign for Villa, as they sit near the top end of the Premier League table as well as the Champions League group stage. However, despite the success on the pitch, it appears as though the hierarchy, along with Emery, are keen on adding to their squad when January arrives.

La Liga is a league that Monchi and Emery know well, and it seems that the pair have been keeping a close eye on it. That is because Villa are interested in signing Getafe’s Christantus Uche, a midfielder who has been really impressive this season, and they are also interested in signing Loic Bade from Sevilla, a young French defender showing plenty of promise.

Meanwhile, they could also be offered the chance to re-sign a former player of theirs. It came to light on Tuesday that Juventus could offer Villa the chance to sign Douglas Luiz on loan in January, as the Brazilian continues to struggle at his new club. Juventus are keen for Luiz to re-find his confidence, and they believe sending him back to Villa could do that, but it remains to be seen if his former employers are interested in a deal.

Villa will have to weigh that possibility up, but there is one player that they are definitely interested in and are said to be leading the race for his signature.

Aston Villa leading race to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the progress of Tyler Dibling and are leading the race to secure his signature. Dibling is a product of Southampton’s academy, and he has really impressed in the top flight this season.

The 18-year-old, who has been described as “magnificent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has appeared in all 10 league games this season, and he has one goal to his name, which came against Ipswich Town.

There are several Premier League teams looking at Dibling, but Emery’s side are leading the race to sign the young talent. Villa scouts have even compared the Southampton man’s playing style to that of former Villa player Jack Grealish.

The Midlands side are a serious contender to sign Dibling, impressing the player’s family, and have already built a rapport. Villa plan to keep an eye on the winger this season, watching how he develops. A move in January hasn’t been ruled out, but Villa are also confident that they will get a chance to sit down with Dibling and his representatives at the end of the season to discuss his future.

Celtic’s centre-forwards, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah, have not enjoyed the most prolific start to the 2024/25 campaign in the Scottish Premiership.

Kyogo has been the go-to number nine for Brendan Rodgers, starting eight of the 11 league matches, and has missed a whopping 12 ‘big chances’ to only score four goals.

Meanwhile, Idah has played a back-up role and contributed with two goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in eight appearances, four of which came as a starter.

The issue for a lot of Celtic centre-forwards is that it is incredibly difficult to live up to Henrik Larsson’s legacy at Parkhead, as the greatest striker in the club’s modern history.

Henrik Larsson's goalscoring record for Celtic

The Sweden international joined the Scottish giants from Feyenoord on a permanent deal in the summer of 1997 and had a decent, but not spectacular, debut season.

Larsson scored 11 goals in 23 games in the Premiership in his first year with the Hoops, before a return of 12 goals in 19 league outings the following term.

He then went on a run of four successive seasons with 26 goals or more in the top-flight for the Hoops, which helped him to finish his career in Glasgow with 147 goals in 186 league matches.

Larsson, who scored 220 goals in 287 games for Celtic in all competitions, was an incredibly prolific goalscorer who set the bar high for any future number nines at the club to live up to.

The Hoops did once have a striker on loan, however, who appeared to have the potential to be their next Henrik Larsson in the making – John Guidetti.

John Guidetti's Celtic potential

In the summer of 2014, Celtic swooped to sign another Swedish forward, who had also played for Feyenoord, on loan from Premier League giants Manchester City, after he had a few major injury issues.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Guidetti had missed 91 games through a knee injury between April 2012 and January 2013 and was still working to get back to full fitness by the time he moved to Celtic.

He had, however, scored a stunning 20 goals in 23 games for Feyenoord on loan in the 2011/12 campaign, and racked up 20 goals in 29 games for Manchester City’s reserve side at academy level.

These statistics suggest that the potential was there for him to be a prolific scorer, at a similar rate of goals to Larsson, for Celtic if he could recapture his best form.

Guidetti showed plenty of signs of promise during the 2014/15 season with the Hoops. The Swedish star produced 15 goals and ten assists in 23 starts, and 35 appearances in total, across all competitions.

However, Celtic were unable to tie him down to a permanent deal beyond that term, and the striker later revealed that it was because he did not want to stay. Guidetti said that he preferred playing in ‘big’ games and was unimpressed by ‘Ross County away’, as well as the lack of celebration after winning the Premiership that year.

The Scottish Sun described his form for Celtic as ‘prolific’ but the forward refused to see what he could achieve over five or six years at Parkhead, as his compatriot Larsson did.

Guidetti then failed to consistently perform in the ‘big’ games in Spain. In seven seasons in LaLiga with Celta Vigo and Alaves, he failed to score more than seven goals in a single term.

As well as Bernabei: Three players Celtic must cash in on in January

The three players Brendan Rodgers must look to move on in the next transfer window.

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By
Dan Emery

Nov 16, 2024

The striker turned down the chance to go on and become a legend at Parkhead to struggle to make a name for himself in Spain, and he now plays for AIK in Sweden at the age of 32.