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Tag: Chelsea

  • Europa League draw: Arsenal drawn against Sporting, Chelsea meet PAOK Salonika

    Europa League draw: Arsenal drawn against Sporting, Chelsea meet PAOK Salonika

    Arsenal will play Sporting Lisbon in the group stage of the Europa League.

    Unai Emery’s side have been drawn in Group E of this season’s competition with the Portuguese club, Qarabag of Azerbaijan and Ukrainian side Vorskla.

    Chelsea, who won the competition in 2012-13, are in Group L with Greek side PAOK Salonika, BATE Borisov of Belarus and Hungarian outfit Vidi.

    Celtic meet Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Rosenborg while Rangers face Rapid Vienna, Villarreal and Spartak Moscow.

    The final of this season’s Europa League takes place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on 29 May.

    Spanish clubs have won the competition for five of the last seven seasons and Sevilla – who triumphed under Emery in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – have been drawn to face Russian side Krasnodar, Standard Liege of Belgium and Turkey’s Akhisar.

    Dudelange, the first club from Luxembourg to reach the group stage of the competition, were handed a trip to the San Siro to play AC Milan.

    Europa League draw in full

    Group A: Bayer Leverkusen (Ger), Ludogorets Razgrad (Bul), FC Zurich (Swi), AEK Larnaca (Cyp)

    Group B: Salzburg (Aut), CELTIC, RB Leipzig (Ger), Rosenborg (Nor)

    Group C: Zenit St Petersburg (Rus), FC Copenhagen (Den), Bordeaux (Fra), Slavia Prague (Cze)

    Group D: Anderlecht (Bel), Fenerbahce (Tur), Dinamo Zagreb (Cro), Spartak Trnava (Svk)

    Group E: ARSENAL, Sporting Lisbon (Por), Qarabag (Aze), Vorskla Poltava (Ukr)

    Group F: Olympiakos (Gre), AC Milan (Ita), Real Betis (Spa), Dudelange (Lux)

    Group G: Villarreal (Spa), Rapid Vienna (Aut), Spartak Moscow (Rus), RANGERS

    Group H: Lazio (Ita), Marseille (Fra), Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger), Apollon Limassol (Cyp)

    Group I: Besiktas (Tur), KRC Genk (Bel), Malmo (Swe), Sarpsborg (Nor)

    Group J: Sevilla (Spa), Krasnodar (Rus), Standard Liege (Bel), Akhisar Belediyespor (Tur)

    Group K: Dynamo Kiev (Ukr), Astana (Kaz), Rennes (Fra), Jablonec (Cze)

    Group L: CHELSEA, PAOK Saloniki (Gre), BATE Borisov (Blr), Vidi (Hun)

    BBC

  • Liverpool drawn at home to Chelsea in Carabao Cup

    Eight-time winners Liverpool have been drawn at home to Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

    Holders Manchester City face a trip to League One Oxford United, while Manchester United are at home to Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

    Arsenal, runners-up last season, take on London rivals Brentford and Tottenham will host Watford.

    League Two Macclesfield, the lowest ranked side left in the competition, are away at Premier League West Ham.

    Tottenham’s tie with Watford could be played almost 50 miles away from Wembley at MK Dons’ Stadium MK.

    The national stadium, where Spurs are playing home games while their new ground is built, is unavailable during third round week.

    “As a result of both our new stadium and Wembley being unavailable during this week, we have applied to the EFL board for special dispensation to play this tie at Stadium MK,” said a Spurs statement.

    “We appreciate that Stadium MK may not be an ideal destination for every fan to get to on a weekday evening, however the club felt it would not be beneficial to request a reverse of the fixture as it would have resulted in no more than a 10% allocation of tickets for our supporters at the venue of our opponents.”

    Burnley, who are also entering the competition at the third round stage, are away to League One Burton Albion.

    There are four all-Premier League ties in total, with Everton at home to Southampton.

    Third round draw

    West Brom v Crystal Palace

    Arsenal v Brentford

    Burton Albion v Burnley

    Wycombe v Norwich

    Oxford United v Man City

    West Ham v Macclesfield

    Millwall v Fulham

    Liverpool v Chelsea

    Bournemouth v Blackburn

    Preston v Middlesbrough

    Wolves v Leicester

    Tottenham v Watford

    Blackpool v QPR

    Everton v Southampton

    Man Utd v Derby

    Nottingham Forest v Stoke

    BBC

  • EPL: Chelsea grab late win at Newcastle

    Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with victory over Newcastle United in a match featuring three goals in 11 second-half minutes.

    Eden Hazard, on his first start this season for the Blues, netted from the penalty spot in the 76th minute before substitute Joselu levelled with a brilliant header at St James’ Park.

    But, having been resolute in defence for the majority of the game, Newcastle failed to clear their lines and Marcos Alonso’s shot took a deflection off DeAndre Yedlin.

     

  • Hazard to Real Madrid may never happen – Father

    Hazard to Real Madrid may never happen – Father

    Chelsea winger Eden Hazard’s father Thierry is unsure whether or not his son will move to Real Madrid in the future.

    The 27-year-old midfielder has yet to start a match for the Blues this season, having to make do with two cameo appearances against Huddersfield and Arsenal respectively.

    Hazard still made an impact with an assist in both games, a continuation of the fine form he showed with Belgium at the World Cup this summer. His future, though, remains up in the air.

    European champions Real Madrid have held a strong interest in the player for years, and although Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has insisted Hazard will remain in London , there remains a feeling that it is one day the player’s destiny to move to Spain.

    However, according to Hazard’s father Thierry, he might never join Los Blancos after a previous deal broke down.

    He told Hiet Nieuwsblad : “I can’t say why it did not go through. Not because I don’t want to, because I don’t know. Maybe they have a policy where they want to give the youth a chance. Eden will have one more year on his contract next summer, but he may never end up in Madrid. ”

    Thierry Hazard the went on to say that the transfer may have failed to materialise because of Zidane’s departure back in May, a coach whom his son admired for his achievements in the game as both a player and a manager.

    He added: “It could be that it had been a different story with Zidane. But on the other hand, he will also have had his reasons for leaving.”

    Thierry, who works as a sports advisor in Braine le Comte, also gave an update on his two other footballing sons, Thorgan and Kylian, both of whom have had spells with Chelsea.

    “Kylian has two years contract with Chelsea but will be loaned out,” he continued. “He did a test at VVV in the Netherlands but that did not happen. Now there is a chance in Spain for him.

    “Thorgan stays with Monchengladbach. At one point, Valencia was concrete and I spoke with the club in Spain. Nothing has come of it, but that is not bad. He has two years of contract left.”

  • Sarri’s team plays well but wins no trophy – Napoli chairman

    Sarri’s team plays well but wins no trophy – Napoli chairman

    Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis has taken a swipe at new Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri’s failure to win a trophy during his three year spell in charge of the club.

    Sarri joined Napoli from Empoli back in 2015, but despite winning Serie A coach of the year in 2016-17, was unable to guide the club to any silverware.

    Laurentiis banded Sarri as a ‘one-dimensional’ coach after he left the club for Chelsea this summer.

  • Chelsea boss Sarri vows to quit smoking at Stamford Bridge

    Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has promised to give up smoking while he is in charge at Stamford Bridge.

    The chain-smoking Chelsea boss admits he finds it difficult not to reach for a cigarette especially during a “horrible 15 minutes” against Arsenal.

    But Sarri, who has been pictured on the touchline holding a cigarette butt and a packet of fags to ease the craving, has vowed to kick the habit.

    Sarri said: “I am going to stop. Just for one or two years, then I will start again.”

    That is probably not saying much about how long Sarri expects to remain at Chelsea, but the club is hardly renowned for sticking with managers.

    However, Sarri’s style – christened “Sarri ball” – was taking shape against Arsenal and the ex-Napoli boss says it is just a matter of time before his players get used to it.

    But did he need a cigarette when Arsenal came back from 2-0 down? Sarri said: “No, no, I just needed the first half to end! I needed half time.

    “I can speak about the other 75, I think that’s better. Because I remember the good things instead of the worst.

    “In quality, we are going very well. In quantity, we have to improve. I think that’s normal. We start to work altogether two weeks ago so now my target is to play 90 minutes like the first 25.

    “We did very well for 75 minutes of the 90. Inside there were 15 horrible minutes. We lost distances, we were not able to press, we were not able to defend. We were really in trouble.

    “So I think in the second half we did really well in the mental point of view because it was very hard to answer to the last part of the first half.”

  • EPL: Alonso strike late as Chelsea defeat Arsenal in five-goal thriller

    Marcos Alonso’s late strike handed Chelsea a 3-2 narrow victory over Arsenal in Maurizio Sarri’s first home match as Blues manager.

    Arsenal had come back from two goals down but with nine minutes left the Spaniard struck to seal all three points from a lively encounter at Stamford Bridge.

    Pedro put the Blues ahead after nine minutes by sweeping in an Alonso cross on the counter, before Alvaro Morata doubled the lead with a smart finish following Cesar Azpilicueta’s long ball.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spurned a glorious chance just moments before Morata’s strike, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan also blazed over from a fine position in the box after the Gunners went two goals behind.

    But Unai Emery’s side continued to cut Chelsea open and they hauled themselves level in dramatic fashion, scoring two goals in four minutes as Mkhitaryan drove in fiercely from the edge of the box before Alex Iwobi converted the Armenian’s cut-back before the break.

    After half-time, Ross Barkley brought an impressive save from Petr Cech and N’Golo Kante saw a promising shot blocked by Sokratis, while Aubameyang had a goal correctly ruled out for offside on the break.

    Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga almost spilled a cross straight to substitute Alexandre Lacazette, and Kante might have done better with a close-range header in the box.

    But Alonso made no mistake with a tidy finish from close range after substitute Eden Hazard’s run and pass across goal set up the winner.

  • EPL: Three big decisions Unai Emery must make ahead of Chelsea clash

    EPL: Three big decisions Unai Emery must make ahead of Chelsea clash

    After being defeated in his opening game as Arsenal manager, Unai Emery has another tough ask as he bids to claim his first win in English football when he takes his team to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea at Saturday.

    The Gunners were never really given a look-in by champions Manchester City, who eased to a 2-0 success thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, and things will hardly get easier when they travel across the capital, Metro reports.

    Chelsea were themselves in full control as they eased past Huddersfield Town in their opening game, and they could recall Eden Hazard from the start such are the options available to Maurizio Sarri.

    If Emery is to move on from last weekend’s disappointment what factors does he have to consider and how can he orchestrate his first Arsenal win since he replaced Arsene Wenger?

    Matteo Guendouzi or Lucas Torreira?

    Frenchman Guendouzi looked overwhelmed and outclassed against Manchester City – as many with his limited experience might – but it could be that his future outings are left for lower key opponents.

    If Chelsea, as expected, do throw everything at Arsenal on their own patch then bringing in Torreira both as a ball-winner and as a player capable of keeping the ball could be key to stemming the flow.

    Torreira played just 20 minutes against City and a string of fans and former Arsenal players were disappointed to see him restricted to a substitute outing. The 22-year-old’s involvement in the World Cup may be linked to Emery leaving him on the bench but the appetite for the Uruguay international to start this weekend is insatiable.

    Will Lacazette and Aubameyang play together?

    Arsenal looked an entirely different proposition going forward once Alexandre Lacazette came on to play in behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Sunday.

    Aaron Ramsey made way and it gave the hosts a new threat in attack and though they weren’t able to register, it gave City something to think about. Can the France international keep his place? It would be bold of Emery to adopt an attacking guise this weekend and not at least attempt to match up Chelsea’s midfield three.

    Nevertheless, Emery must identify his first choice front four without much more delay.

    Arsenal fans have been debating all summer which of Aubameyang and Lacazette will lead the attack and while the Gabon man has the edge, many would like to see them play together.

    The subtext of Ramsey’s failure to agree a new contract may also play a part in the selection, with the midfielder unlikely to be happy if he is left out while fresh terms are being discussed.

    The left-back dilemma

    Such has been Arsenal’s fortunes when it has come to injuries in recent seasons Wenger would have been well-served leaving a dossier for his replacement.

    That there was a fitness concern in the first half of Emery’s opening game in charge should come as no surprise as Ainsley Maitland-Niles went off with a knee problem after a collision with Kyle Walker.

    Stephan Lichsteiner came on out-of-position at left-back but the Swiss veteran cannot be a long-term option in that position. Nacho Monreal has a knee injury and is not likely to be ready in time to face Chelsea while Sead Kolasinac has a similar problem which will keep him out for two months.

    Moving another defender to the left-side is an option, but it would leave the back-four horribly unbalanced. Rob Holding and Lichtsteiner are among the candidates, while a defensive-minded midfielder likes Mohamed Elneny could be considered as a last ditch solution.

    Nevertheless, it is a dilemma which will leaves Pedro, Willian and Eden Hazard licking their lips.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Chelsea flop completes Milan loan move with €35m purchase option

    Chelsea flop completes Milan loan move with €35m purchase option

    Tiemoue Bakayoko has completed his loan move from Chelsea to AC Milan , with that deal including a €35 million (£31m/$40m) purchase option.

    Goal first revealed prior to the Premier League transfer window closing that the France international had opened talks with the Rossoneri.

    Confirmation was then given that the 23-year-old was heading to Italy and had passed a medical .

    Both sides of an agreement have now confirmed that a deal is complete, with Bakayoko set to spend the 2018-19 campaign in Italy before another decision is taken on his future.

    A statement released on the Rossoneri’s official website read: “AC Milan are pleased to announce the signing of French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Chelsea FC.

    “The 23 year-old joins the club on a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent.

    “Born 17th August 1994 in Paris, Bakayoko’s career started in his native France with Rennes before taking him to Monaco and Chelsea.

    “The midfielder has two major honours to his name, winning the league title in 2017 with Monaco and then the FA Cup with Chelsea the year after.

    “Bakayoko will be unveiled to the media in a press conference on Friday August 17th.”

    Chelsea only signed Bakayoko for £40m ($51m) in the summer of 2017.

    He was, however, to find the going tough in England and began to see his form and ongoing presence in the side questioned.

    Maurizio Sarri has deemed him surplus to requirements since inheriting the managerial reins from Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge.

    That has led Bakayoko to Milan, with the opportunity now there for him to restore confidence in his game alongside the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Franck Kessie at San Siro.

    Goal

  • If Antonio Conte stayed at Chelsea, I would have left – Willian

    If Antonio Conte stayed at Chelsea, I would have left – Willian

    Chelsea winger Willian says there is “no chance” he would be at the club had former head coach Antonio Conte still been in charge.

    Conte won the 2016-17 Premier League title with the Blues but was sacked in July after finishing fifth.

    His replacement, fellow Italian Maurizio Sarri, won his first Premier League match in charge, 3-0 at Huddersfield on Saturday.

    “The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch,” Willian said.

    “Is it fun to play this way? I think so. We have a lot of players with quality up front, like Eden Hazard and Pedro. Players like that want to play football.

    “That’s why he [Sarri] talked about ‘fun’ football [after arriving at Chelsea]. This is what we will try to do this season.”

    Brazilian Willian, 30, was linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United this summer but committed his future to the Blues in early August.

    Asked whether he would have stayed if Conte had not been fired, he told the Evening Standard: “No chance. No. I’m here because I want to play for Chelsea. I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go.”

    Chelsea are at home to Arsenal in their next league fixture on Saturday, and Willian added: “Now we have a different style, that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal.

    “Of course, it will be a special game against Arsenal because it is a derby. It is always difficult against them. We have to prepare well during the week.”