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Tag: Chelsea

  • EPL: Four star Bournemouth thrash Chelsea

    EPL: Four star Bournemouth thrash Chelsea

    Two goals and an assist by Joshua King saw Bournemouth put further pressure on Chelsea’s bid for Champions League qualification at Vitality Stadium.

    King scored either side of a composed David Brooks finish, before Charlie Daniels added a fourth as the Cherries condemned the visitors to a second consecutive league defeat.

    Bournemouth were fortunate to be level at the interval as veteran goalkeeper Artur Boruc produced five impressive saves to deny a Chelsea side that failed to penetrate their hosts’ defence despite 70% of possession.

    But within a minute of the second half starting, Bournemouth took the lead as King arrived late in the Chelsea box to smash Brooks’ cut-back past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

    The duo combined again for the second as King lofted the ball over a scrambling Chelsea defence for Brooks to latch on to and fire into the bottom corner.

    The influential Welshman, 21, hobbled off in the second half, but King added a third with the final touch of a flowing Bournemouth move with a right-footed finish from close range.

    Substitute Daniels produced the finishing touch within a minute of being on the pitch with a stooping header in injury time.

    A second consecutive league win for Bournemouth sees the Cherries move up to 10th in the table, while Chelsea drop to fifth by virtue of scoring fewer goals than Arsenal.

    BBC

  • Chelsea manager Sarri decides, says Hazard can leave

    Chelsea manager Sarri decides, says Hazard can leave

    Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has said Eden Hazard is free to leave the club if he wants to.

    Sarri wants Hazard to stay but does not think the club should stand in the Belgian’s way if he would prefer to move on.

    Hazard has long been linked with a move to Spanish side Real Madrid and has said in the past that he would be interested in a move to the reigning Champions League holders.
    According to SkySports, Chelsea are looking to renew Hazard’s contract, which expires next season, and the west London side risk losing him for free in 2020, if he does not extend his current deal.

    “The situation of Eden is different,” Sarri told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Bournemouth.

    “Eden is 28. If he wants to go, I think he has to go.

    “Of course, I hope the opposite, I hope he wants to stay here.

    “He has the potential to be the best player in Europe at the moment.”

  • I can’t promise Hudson-Odoi playing time at Chelsea – Sarri

    I can’t promise Hudson-Odoi playing time at Chelsea – Sarri

    Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri says he cannot guarantee Callum Hudson-Odoi first-team football but that the club do not plan to sell him this year.

    The 18-year-old, who has 18 months left on his contract, has been the subject of a £35m bid from Bayern Munich.

    He also handed in a transfer request after concerns about playing time.

    “The club told me he’s out of the market [in January] for sure and probably he will be out of the market in July,” said Sarri.

    “On the pitch he’s doing very well. I’m really very happy with him.

    “I’m not very happy with the situation, but I know very well that every big team here in England has the same problem.

    “It’s not easy to keep these young players. He is of course one of the best 18-year-old players in Europe, so it’s very, very difficult.”

    Hudson-Odoi has not made a Premier League start for Chelsea and has made just three substitute appearances in the top flight this season.

    He did start in the FA Cup fourth-round win over Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday and scored his second goal for the club in the 3-0 victory.

    “It’s impossible to promise him that he will play every match, because it depends on the situation,” added Sarri.

    “He’s improving. I think he’ll be the future of our club. He will be the future of English football.”

  • Chelsea reject Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request

    Chelsea reject Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request

    Chelsea have rejected Callum Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request, Sky Sport reports.

    The 18-year-old has been the subject of four bids from Bayern Munich, the last at £35m, and has turned down Chelsea’s latest £85,000-a-week contract offer.

    He admitted he did not know if he would play for Chelsea again after scoring in the 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Sunday, having told the club he wanted to leave.

    But Chelsea have maintained throughout the window they wanted to keep him.

    Hudson-Odoi was urged to stay at the club to become one of the best players in the world by team-mate Willian on Monday, while Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola said they were beginning to show “trust” in him.

    The England youth international has yet to start a Premier League game for the club and Zola admitted he and head coach Maurizio Sarri are “still finding the space to play him”.

  • Chelsea to face Man Utd in FA Cup fifth round

    Chelsea to face Man Utd in FA Cup fifth round

    Holders Chelsea have been drawn to face Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round, a repeat of last year’s final.

    With Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool already out of the competition, Monday’s draw means that, at most, only two of the top six will progress to the quarter-finals.

    Chelsea won last year’s final at Wembley 1-0 thanks to an Eden Hazard penalty.

    Giant-killers Newport County, who play in League Two (fourth tier), could face Premier League champions Manchester City if they can win their replay against Middlesbrough.

    Newport, who have already knocked out top-flight Leicester City, drew 1-1 at Middlesbrough on Saturday and host the replay on Feb. 5.

    Doncaster Rovers, who play in League One (third tier) and are in the fifth round for the first time in 63 years, will host Premier League side Crystal Palace.

    League One AFC Wimbledon, who knocked out top-flight West Ham United, take on Championship (second-tier) Millwall, who eliminated Everton in the fourth round.

  • Chelsea’s Morata joins Atletico Madrid on loan

    Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has joined Spanish club Atletico Madrid on loan until the end of the 2019-20 season.

    The 26-year-old joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in July 2017 for a then club-record fee of £60m on a five-year contract.

    He has made 47 Premier League appearances for the Blues, scoring 16 times.

    Morata played for Atletico as a youngster before joining Real Madrid.

    He had a medical in Spain on Sunday.

    The move comes after Chelsea signed Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan last week.

    His last appearance for Chelsea was against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on 5 January where he scored both goals in their 2-0 victory.

    “Morata has proven himself as a prolific goalscorer in some of Europe’s most competitive leagues,” Atletico said on their website.

    Morata said: “I’m very happy and proud to be here. I can’t wait to start training, meet my new team-mates and play.”

  • FA Cup: Hudson-Odoi scores as Chelsea cruise into fifth round

    FA Cup: Hudson-Odoi scores as Chelsea cruise into fifth round

    Holders Chelsea comfortably beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup with Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring 24 hours after handing in a transfer request.

    Winger Hudson-Odoi, 18, showed the type of poise which has led to a £35m bid from Bayern Munich by collecting Andreas Christensen’s diagonal pass and cutting inside before firing past Keiran Westwood for his second goal of the season.

    Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was rewarded for handing Hudson-Odoi a sixth start of the season as his goal put the result of a feisty game beyond doubt.

    Earlier, Willian scored the first of his two goals from the penalty spot, before making it 3-0 after a smart one-two with Olivier Giroud, who replaced debutant Gonzalo Higuain.

    The opener, Willian’s 50th goal for Chelsea, came in controversial circumstances after the visitors had earned their own spot-kick 162 seconds earlier, only for it to be overturned by VAR.

    BBC

  • Chelsea youngster Hudson-Odoi hands in transfer request

    Chelsea youngster Hudson-Odoi hands in transfer request

    Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi has handed in a transfer request as he seeks a move away from Stamford Bridge in order to get more playing time.

    The 18-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game at Chelsea and has been the subject of a £35m bid from Bayern Munich.

    According to BBC, Chelsea have been in talks with Hudson-Odoi, who has 18 months left on his contract, and want him to stay.

    But he has only made five Chelsea starts and 14 appearances overall.

    There have been reports Hudson-Odoi has been offered a new deal worth up to £80,000 a week, but playing time is understood to be the most important issue for the teenager, who has been at the club since he was eight.

    Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been critical of Bayern after they went on the record about wanting to land the player.

    Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said the German club “really want to sign him”.

    But during this transfer window, Chelsea have paid £58m to Borussia Dortmund for 20-year-old forward Christian Pulisic, who will join them next season.

    And on Wednesday, Sarri recruited 31-year-old Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain on loan for the remainder of the season with an option to buy him for £31.3m.

  • Chelsea beat Tottenham on penalty to reach Carabao Cup final

    Chelsea beat Tottenham on penalty to reach Carabao Cup final

    Chelsea won a penalty shootout on a night of high drama at Stamford Bridge, overcoming Tottenham to secure a Carabao Cup final meeting with Manchester City.

    After an enthralling 90 minutes which saw the tie end 2-2 on aggregate, the tie was settled when David Luiz scored the winning kick after Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fine save from Lucas Moura.

    Chelsea, who have now reached 15 finals in 16 years in all competitions, will face Pep Guardiola’s City at Wembley on 24 February.

    Blues boss Maurizio Sarri, who said after losing to Arsenal at the weekend that his players are “extremely difficult to motivate”, celebrated with his team at the end.

    Trailing 1-0 from the semi-final first leg at Wembley, Chelsea were level on aggregate when the unmarked N’Golo Kante drilled in a first-time shot from 20 yards through three pairs of legs after a corner.

    Eden Hazard, who Blues boss Sarri said on the eve of the tie “has to do more”, fired Chelsea into a 2-1 aggregate lead with an arrowed finish after being picked out by captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

    Tottenham were without injured duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli as well as Son Heung-min, who is away with South Korea at the Asian Cup, BBC reports.

    They failed to produce a shot on target in the first half but forced penalties when Fernando Llorente converted Danny Rose’s cross.

    On Saturday, Sarri was critical of his players after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal left his side 13 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with 15 games to go.

    The Italian can now look forward to a Wembley final in his first season in charge after his team responded with a much improved performance to overturn Tottenham’s lead.

    It was apt that Hazard should score such a vital goal.

    On the eve of this game, Sarri said the Belgium forward “has to do more” adding: “I prefer him when he speaks with his feet.”

    Hazard responded by starting and finishing a slick move which made it 2-0 and put Chelsea ahead in the tie for the first time.

    Earlier, Kante had given the hosts the perfect start with a lovely finish as Tottenham found themselves on the back foot before responding with a much better second half display to send the tie to penalties.

    Chelsea scored all four of their spot kicks – Willian, Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Luiz all keeping their composure.

    In contrast, Tottenham missed two of their four kicks – Eric Dier, a World Cup penalty shootout hero for England in Russia, firing over the bar before Moura was denied by Arrizabalaga.

  • Chelsea reacts as Mikel joins Middlesbrough

    Chelsea reacts as Mikel joins Middlesbrough

    Premier League side Chelsea have congratulated Super Eagles’ captain John Mikel Obi over his move to English Championship side Middlesbrough on a six-month deal.

    Middlesbrough on Thursday confirmed the signing of Mikel with a video of the former Chelsea midfielder training with his new teammates.

    Recall that Mikel tore up his contract with Chinese Super League (CSL) side, Tianjin TEDA, after escaping relegation.

    Reacting to their former player’s move, Chelsea took to their official Twitter page, @ChelseaFC, to congratulate Mikel and wished him good luck at his new club, Middlesbrough.

    “Good luck at Middlesbrough, @Mikel_John_Obi!,” Chelsea tweeted alongside a video of Mikel scoring for the Blues.

    Mikel, who will wear No.2 shirt, is expected to make his debut for Middlesbrough when they take on Newport County in an FA Cup clash scheduled for Saturday, January 26.