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Tag: Chelsea

  • Thibaut Courtois out of Belgium friendly, returns to Chelsea

    Thibaut Courtois has returned to Chelsea early from international duty with Belgium, but coach Roberto Martinez confirmed Courtois should be fit for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham.

    Antonio Conte confirmed Courtois was suffering from a “muscular problem” ahead of last week’s FA Cup quarter-final win against Leicester City.

    The 25-year-old decided to join up with Martinez’s Belgium squad despite the issue and hoped to recover in time for Tuesday’s international friendly against Saudi Arabia, however, medical staff with the Belgium national side decided Courtois had not recovered in time for the match and confirmed the goalkeeper will return to Chelsea continue his rehabilitation.

    “Thibaut Courtois, from a coaching perspective, will not be fit for Tuesday but could be okay to play at the weekend against Tottenham for his club. For Tuesday it is too early and a risk.

    “I think it’s a great opportunity for Simon [Mignolet] to have back-to-back international fixtures.

    “We are not going to take any chances with anyone. The medical team felt he would not be 100 per cent for Tuesday.”

    Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will start for Belgium against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

  • Chelsea settle Stamford Bridge construction dispute

    Chelsea football club, can start work on a new £1bn stadium at Stamford Bridge after settling a dispute with a neighbour who objected to the construction.

    The Crosthwaite family took out an injunction in May 2017, saying the expansion to 60,000 seats would block light into their home.

    In January, Hammersmith and Fulham Council passed a motion to prevent the injunction blocking the plans.

    The club said on Wednesday they have reached an agreement with the family.

    Chelsea expect to be playing at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2019-20 season and will be forced to play at an alternative venue likely to be Wembley Stadium for up to four years during the construction period.

  • BAR 3-0 CHE [4 -1]: Barcelona crush Chelsea as Messi scores 100th Champions League goal

    Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals and created another for Ousmane Dembele as Barcelona thrashed Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.

    Messi scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Chelsea to hit triple figures, in what was his 123rd match in the tournament.

    Since scoring his first against Panathinaikos on November 2, 2005, he has put 99 more in the back of the net and has scored 81 of his 100 with his left foot, 15 with his right and four with his head.

    The Argentine forward created the second with a blistering run from the halfway line which left three Chelsea defenders stumbling in his wake, before squaring the ball for Ousmane Dembele to rifle home his first goal for the club.

    Marcos Alonso hit the post and Olivier Giroud was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for a tangle with Gerard Pique as Chelsea tried to launch a comeback, before Messi killed the tie with his 100th Champions League goal.

    “To have Messi in the team is a luxury, he’s such a good player that in any move he can create danger against you,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said.

    “Our attacking play goes through him and any move is improved by his touch.”

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side needed a perfect display to progress but they started disastrously at a packed Nou Camp when Luis Suarez teed up Messi, who squeezed a low strike through the legs of Courtois from a tight angle.

    The visitors responded well with Giroud and Willian, who scored in the 1-1 first-leg draw at Stamford Bridge, particularly bright in attack.

    But a mistake from Cesc Fabregas on the halfway line allowed Messi to break in again after 20 minutes and the number 10 left the Chelsea backline in tatters to set up the second goal, expertly finished by Dembele.

    The English side, now needing two goals, nearly got one before halftime. N’Golo Kante dragged a shot inches wide and Marcos Alonso crashed a free kick off the post.

    It was the third time across the two legs that Chelsea hit the woodwork and Antonio Rudiger did it again in the closing stages.

    Giroud appeared to be brought down by Pique in the area but referee Damir Skomina did not bow to Chelsea’s protests for a penalty, before Messi drove at the defence again and slotted home Barcelona’s third in the 62nd minute, shooting low between Courtois’ legs for the second time.

    “(For) the first goal, I did not expect Messi to shoot from that angle and I was too late in closing my legs, it was a mistake on my part,” Courtois told BT Sport.

  • EPL: Willian scores as Chelsea revives hope of a top-four finish

    Chelsea revived their hopes of a top four Premier League finish as they got back to winning ways with a victory over lowly Crystal Palace.

    The Blues remain fifth but their win saw Antonio Conte’s team close the gap on fourth placed Tottenham to two points – at least until Spurs play Bournemouth on Sunday.

    Brazilian winger Willian, 29, opened the scoring for the hosts and was aided by a deflection off Palace defender Martin Kelly, as the ball crept inside the left-hand post.

    Chelsea spurned several excellent openings before doubling their advantage, again thanks to significant chunk of good fortune. Kelly, was again involved.

    The former Liverpool player initially did well to clear Davide Zappacosta’s drive off his own goal line but the ball ricocheted off Eagles goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and struck Kelly before entering the net.

    Eden Hazard had a goal disallowed for offside and Chelsea’s profligacy threatened to give Roy Hodgson’s team a route back into the match.

    Patrick van Aanholt’s late goal briefly raised their hopes but Conte’s side held on with Palace remaining in the bottom three.

     

    BBC

  • Chelsea midfielder, Kante fit to play after fainting in training

    Chelsea midfielder, N’Golo Kante is in contention to start against Crystal Palace on Saturday despite fainting at the club’s training ground last week.

    Chelsea coach, Antonio Conte confirmed on Friday that Kante trained normally this week after fainting at Cobham last week shortly after he had taken part in an outdoor training session in the bitterly cold conditions.

    The France international was immediately attended to by club doctors who subsequently carried out a series of tests, including cardiology tests, on the 26-year-old – all of which came back negative.

    However, Kante was not risked against Manchester City last Sunday, but could start when Chelsea host relegation-battlers Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.

    “N’Golo is fine. He trained the whole week. He’s in good form. He’s fine,” Conte told reporters.

    “Last week if you remember it was very cold and, after the training session, he passed out briefly in the dressing-room,” Conte explained.

    “I think that, for sure, after the situation the doctor brought him to have many controls, many check ups, to understand the physical condition. But it was all clear.

    “I think that on Sunday he was well but, at the same time, it was right not to take a risk. To give him the opportunity not to play and to rest. But he’s okay. Every check up is okay..is perfect.”

    Tiemoue Bakayoko is also back in training after missing Chelsea’s past few games, although Conte would not confirm whether the midfielder would make his squad on Saturday.

  • Chelsea manager, Conte defends his tactics during City defeat

    Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has defended the use of his tactics in his side’s defeat at Premier League leaders Manchester City.

    The Blues produced a surprisingly negative display and failed to have a shot on target in the match as Bernardo Silva’s goal less than a minute into the second half sealed the game and pushed Manchester City 18 points clear at the top and closer to the title.

    Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville called Chelsea’s display “absolutely unacceptable” and accused Conte’s players of being “mannequins”, while colleague Jamie Redknapp called their approach “anti-football” and “a crime against football”.

    The Italian boss responded: “You have to accept every critic, but I am not so stupid to play against Manchester City open and to lose 3-0 or 4-0.

    “A few days ago, Arsenal played twice against them and then you criticised [Arsenal manager Arsene] Wenger a lot because they conceded three goals in only 30 minutes.

    “The pundit has to use the head to understand when you speak about tactics because I think you must have knowledge to speak about tactics and not only to speak in a stupid way.”

    When asked if Chelsea could have been more ambitious in their play, striker Olivier Giroud, who came on as substitute, said: “It is a good question. The coach made his tactics. We tried to respect it.”

    Pep Guardiola’s side were forced to bide their time before making the breakthrough on Sunday and it came when Silva stole in ahead of Marcos Alonso from David Silva’s cross to beat Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

    Chelsea did not register a single shot on target, leaving Manchester City keeper Ederson a virtual bystander as he was even able to watch Alonso’s timid shot drift wide with seconds left.

    It was a disappointing day for Chelsea and manager Conte – and of even greater concern is that they are now five points adrift of Tottenham in fourth place in the race for spots in next season’s Champions League.

     

    BBC

  • Guardiola brands Chelsea manager, Conte a ‘master tactician’

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is a “master” tactician and will leave his mark on English football, according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

    The Italian adopted a 5-3-2 formation to guide Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season in charge.

    But the Blues are 22 points adrift of leaders City this term and the two sides meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

    “I think Conte is going to leave something to English football. I am sure of that,” said Guardiola.

    Conte saw his side beaten heavily 3-0 by rivals Arsenal in September 2016, after which the former Juventus and Italy boss changed his system from a 4-5-1 to playing with three centre-backs and two wing-backs.

    It allowed Chelsea to go on a club-record run of 13 consecutive victories,which laid the platform for their fifth Premier League triumph.

    This campaign has been a difficult one, though, with the Blues in fifth place and constant speculation surrounding Conte’s future at Stamford Bridge.

    Guardiola said: “What Antonio has done here in the Premier League, maybe the people don’t realise.

    “He introduced another way to attack with five at the back, another system. A lot of teams, even Arsenal, had to do a lot of imitating to do that.

    “Tactically, he is a master. He did it amazingly with the national team with Italy and when he went to Turin.”

     

    BBC

  • F/T: Lukaku, Lingard score as Manchester United thrash Chelsea 2-1

    Jose Mourinho-led Manchester United thrashed its counterpart, Antonio Conte’s Chelsea FC on Sunday at the Old Trafford Stadium.

    This is the first match since a public war of words that saw the managers sling mud at one another in January.

    Jesse Lingard’s second-half goal gave Manchester United a 2-1 win over Chelsea. who had taken the lead through Willian but were quickly pegged back by a Romelu Lukaku equaliser

    It was Lukaku’s good work that did much towards winning this for Chelsea, a goal and a fine assist for Lingard doing the job. United were much better in the second half although this was no classic.

    Conte may wonder whether replacing Hazard just before the winner was a good idea – his team couldn’t find their way back after Lingard’s strike.

  • MUN 2-1 CHE: Willian stunning goal against Manchester United

    Chelsea’s attaking midfielder got a perfect counter attack, scored an opener in a match with Manchester United on Sunday.

    The Brazilian opened the scoring after 32 minutes when Chelsea brilliantly counter-attacked a United set-piece.

    Willian started his side’s attack by winning a header in his own area before Victor Moses beat Paul Pogba in the air to break the Blues free.

    The winger then eventually received the ball back from Eden Hazard who blasted past David De Gea at the Spaniard’s near post.

    Watch:

    Willian goal 0-1 Manchester United vs Chelsea by footbie.com

  • Conte praises fans as Hazard double sees off West Brom

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised the club’s fans for sticking by him, after a comfortable win over West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge eased the pressure on the Italian.

    Conte’s Chelsea future had been placed under the harshest spotlight after successive heavy losses to Bournemouth and Watford – but a victory that took them back up to fourth in the Premier League will ease those concerns for now.

    Conte’s name was sung throughout by the home fans, in an obvious show of support.

    “I have to thank the fans because they showed me great support,” he said. “They are reading speculation and rumours on me and I’m grateful to the fans.

    “It means they understand my passion, my will to defend this colour, this shirt, this badge.

    “I have to live with this pressure until the end of the season. I don’t want this pressure to weigh on the shoulders of my players.”

    Conte needed the brilliance of Eden Hazard to settle early uncertainty on the pitch and in the stands.

    Hazard exchanged passes with Olivier Giroud before giving Chelsea a first-half lead and, after Victor Moses slid home a second after the break, sealed victory with a powerful drive in the 71st minute.

    The win took the Blues a point ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham.

    West Brom, meanwhile, are seven points from safety after one win in 25 league games.

    They were hampered by losing loan signing Daniel Sturridge to injury inside three minutes. Substitute Jay Rodriguez wasted an opportunity to put them ahead when clean through, and Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans also missed chances with the game in the balance.

    “Losing Daniel Sturridge after three minutes was a blow in itself,” said Pardew. “That was probably a bigger blow than the result.

    “He felt his hamstring after a 60m sprint in the first moments of the game. We’ll have to nurse him.”

    For Conte, however, it was a satisfying night and the pressure – temporarily at least – is off.