Tag: Chelsea

We don’t talk enough about how great Petr Cech was for Chelsea
Analysis

We don’t talk enough about how great Petr Cech was for Chelsea

Growing up, I swore Petr Cech was the best goalkeeper in the world. I think at that time, most people were on the Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon trains. And for good reason. They were the faces of the two most prestigious clubs in the world, at least at that time, in Real Madrid and Juventus, and they were also the faces of the Spanish and Italian national teams. Call it a flavor of bias, but I was in love with those old Czech teams with Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky in midfield, Jan Koller and Milan Baros up top, and then Cech in goal. It was unfortunate, too, that the Czechs were basically chronic underperformers and Cech had a couple of bad blunders in a national team kit, but as someone who prided themselves on watching every single game instead of falling for narratives, I alw...
Which club should Antonio Conte manage next?
Analysis

Which club should Antonio Conte manage next?

Antonio Conte is one of the most volatile but entertaining managers in world football. He is the heartthrob clubs know will ultimately turn on them and hurt them, but for those chasing that one fleeting season of glory - or, more foolishly, thinking they can change his ways - Conte is the Siren's Song of managers. He's undoubtedly one of the best managers in the world, and although he blew things up in smoke at Napoli, pretty much everyone expected that. I mean, Aurelio De Laurentiis is so difficult to work with that even Carlo Ancelotti said he couldn't deal with him anymore and escaped to Everton, of all places. As far as Conte goes, his reputation is actually even higher than it was before, because I still don't know how he turned Scott McTominay into a Serie A MVP and Napoli into Sc...
Morgan Rogers just confirmed he is what Chelsea were missing
Analysis

Morgan Rogers just confirmed he is what Chelsea were missing

Chelsea defeated Fulham 3-2 in Xabi Alonso's managerial debut, and, as many Blues fans were hoping and even expecting, new Aston Villa signing Morgan Rogers played a crucial role in the victory. He was arguably the standout player on the pitch across from Cole Palmer, and these two are fitting each other like gloves, with Rogers the perfect creative counterweight to Palmer on the left side. Rogers can finish off the chances that Palmer and Joao Pedro produce, and he was scintillating with a goal and five key passes to lead the team, while also progressing the ball well and even taking the Fulham defense on with successful one on one dribbles. Since breaking out in the 2024/25 season, Rogers has been one of the best forward and hybrid attacking midfield wingers in the Premier Leagu...
2026/27 Premier League Power Rankings after Tottenham, Man United, and Aston Villa implode
Rankings

2026/27 Premier League Power Rankings after Tottenham, Man United, and Aston Villa implode

Here are the first Premier League power rankings of the 2026/27 Premier League season after Tottenham Hotspur's shock defeat to Brentford, Chelsea's huge win over Fulham, and Manchester United getting embarrassed by newly promoted Hull. 20. Coventry 19. Nottingham Forest 18. Crystal Palace Coventry looked completely overmatched on Friday night, and while that was nothing less than expected against reigning champions Arsenal, it was still pretty jarring to see. Nottingham Forest have quite a bit of talent, but they did not look up for it, while Crystal Palace, on the other hand, may have lost too much talent to be able to truly compete in the Premier League this season. 17. Sunderland 16. Ipswich 15. Hull 14. Leeds 13. Aston Villa 12. Tottenham Hotspur 11. Manchester United I...
4 stars, 3 flops from Chelsea’s 3-2 opening win over Fulham
Analysis

4 stars, 3 flops from Chelsea’s 3-2 opening win over Fulham

Chelsea defeated rivals Fulham 3-2 in Xabi Alonso's managerial debut against his former Real Madrid teammate and coaching successor Alvaro Arbeloa. Here are the biggest stars and flops from the match. Star: Cole Palmer If Chelsea are to return to the Champions League, then they are going to need Cole Palmer to be back at his best level. Well, he was on Matchday 1, absolutely cooking the Fulham midfield and defense with three key passes, eight combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn, and a goal and an assist to win it. Oh, and Alonso got some solid defensive work rate out of him. Flop: Malo Gusto Malo Gusto at right back and Reece James in the midfield does not work, because James is ten times the right back Gusto is and any midfielder is going to be better than James. The former Ly...
Xabi Alonso is the last hope for Jamie Gittens
Analysis

Xabi Alonso is the last hope for Jamie Gittens

Jamie Gittens joined Chelsea in 2025 for a whopping 56 million euros after what was really only a great half season, and unlike Nicolas Jackson at Villarreal, he was really only great in the first half of the 2024/25 season for Borussia Dortmund up until Niko Kovac's arrival made BVB more defensive (to their benefit). But the England international showed enough explosiveness and dribbling quality to make the Blues invest heavily in him as a solution on the left wing, which has been a gaping hole for them. Gittens flopped miserably in his first season at Chelsea, and while an adjustment period was always going to be necessary for an especially raw player who did take a lot of time to come good at Dortmund in the first place, it was jarring to see how much he struggled. Despite many...
The 10 Best Defensive Midfielders in the Premier League Right Now, Ranked
Rankings

The 10 Best Defensive Midfielders in the Premier League Right Now, Ranked

The Premier League is loaded with elite midfield talent, but the best defensive midfielders do far more than simply tackle, intercept and protect the back four. A modern No. 6 must be able to win the ball, resist pressure, progress possession and control matches. Some are pure destroyers, others are deep-lying playmakers, while the very best can dominate both sides of the game. With that in mind, these are the 10 best defensive midfielders in the Premier League right now, ranked based on their current level, consistency, defensive ability, technical quality and overall importance to their teams. 10. Mateus Fernandes — Tottenham The Dynamic Midfield All-Rounder One of the new breakout stars in the Premier League, Mateus Fernandes is a ball of energy with highly underrated techn...
The 25 Best Premier League Players Right Now, Ranked
Rankings

The 25 Best Premier League Players Right Now, Ranked

The Premier League has no shortage of world-class talent, but ranking the division's very best players is about more than simply looking at reputation, trophies or what a player accomplished several years ago. This ranking focuses on who the best Premier League players are right now. Current form matters, but so do consistency, individual quality, importance to a team's success and the ability to influence matches at the highest level. Players are also judged on the standard they have established over the current period, rather than being ranked solely on a brief hot streak. From elite defenders and midfielders to some of the most devastating attackers in world football, these are the players setting the standard in England's top flight. Here are the 25 best Premier League players right...
Predicting every Premier League team’s goal scoring leader in 2026/27
Analysis

Predicting every Premier League team’s goal scoring leader in 2026/27

The 2026/27 Premier League season is starting up again soon, and before the new campaign begins, let's take a look at who every team's best scorer will be Manchester City: Erling Haaland Arsenal: Bukayo Saka In theory, the leading goal scorer for Arsenal should be Viktor Gyokeres at the No. 9, but he is so hard to rely on. And while nobody will confuse Bukayo Saka for being the most killer goal scoring winger in the world, he has better technical ability and feel for the game than Gyokeres. He is bound for a bounce back season in 2026/27. Chelsea: Cole Palmer Like with Arsenal, it's hard to pick against the striker, but Joao Pedro brings a lot more than goals to the table for the Blues. And, in fact, what makes him such an asset to Chelsea is the fact that he is more than a scoring st...
Rankings

Ranking the top 5 defenses in the Premier League before the 2026/27 season begins

With the 2026/27 Premier League season set to get under way in roughly one week, it's time to take stock of the best defenses in the top flight. Because, as we all know, defense wins championships. 5. Chelsea It may seem weird to rank Chelsea in the top five of the best defenses in the Premier League, but there is more that goes into ranking a defense than the center backs, which were a huge problem for the Blues last season - and even led to Enzo Maresca's premature departure. But Chelsea got better at center back by signing one of the league's top ball winners in Maxence Lacroix, who will form a great duo when the latter is fully healthy. Losing Marc Cucurella is a huge blow, but Chelsea have young standouts to replace him - and Reece James, should the star right back get injured. ...