Chelsea News and Analysis

10 Best Strikers in the Premier League Right Now, Ranked (2026/27)

9Nov

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Rankings

10 Best Strikers in the Premier League Right Now, Ranked (2026/27)

The Premier League has no shortage of elite attacking talent, but identifying its best centre-forwards requires looking beyond the Golden Boot standings. Some strikers are devastating finishers who need only one opportunity to change a game. Others bring an entirely different dimension, using their physicality, movement and link-up play to make everyone around them better. Then there are the forwards who combine both qualities, making them particularly difficult to defend. Erling Haaland continues to set the standard, but Liverpool, Chelsea and several clubs outside the traditional elite have their own compelling attacking weapons. Here are the 10 best strikers in the Premier League right now, ranked by their overall quality, individual impact and current performances. 10. Eli Ju...

10 Best Playmakers in the Premier League This Season, Ranked (2026/27)

8Nov

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Rankings

10 Best Playmakers in the Premier League This Season, Ranked (2026/27)

There is more to being an elite playmaker than racking up assists. Sometimes the best pass of a match goes unrewarded because a teammate misses a glorious opportunity. Other times, a seemingly simple ball unlocks an entire defensive structure and creates a chance that should be converted. That distinction is particularly interesting when looking at the Premier League's leading creative players in 2026/27. Some of the division's most productive creators have not received the statistical recognition their performances deserve, while others have combined consistent chance creation with the finishing quality of their teammates. From established stars to some increasingly important creative forces, these are the 10 best playmakers in the Premier League this season, ranked. 10. Declan ...

Ranking Every Premier League Big Six Club by How Convincing They Have Been This Season

8Nov

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Ranking Every Premier League Big Six Club by How Convincing They Have Been This Season

The Premier League table tells one story. The performances behind it tell another. Ten matches into the 2026/27 campaign, the traditional Big Six have offered wildly different reasons for optimism, concern and outright frustration. Some have established themselves as genuine contenders through tactical discipline and defensive excellence, while others are struggling to translate ambitious tactical ideas into consistent results. Manchester United are enduring a nightmare, Tottenham are struggling to find goals, and Chelsea's attacking ambition continues to come with considerable defensive compromises. Further up the table, Liverpool are showing signs of improvement, Manchester City remain frightening going forward, and Arsenal have established themselves as the most complete side in t...

10 Premier League Players Who Had Better Peaks Than You Remember

8Nov

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

All-Time Lists

10 Premier League Players Who Had Better Peaks Than You Remember

There is a funny thing about football nostalgia: sometimes, the further removed we become from a player's best years, the more difficult it becomes to remember just how good they actually were. A disappointing transfer, an unfortunate injury, a lack of silverware or simply playing alongside a bigger superstar can completely reshape how we remember a footballer's career. Suddenly, a player who once terrorized Premier League defenses becomes little more than a name on an old team sheet. That is particularly true of several players from the Premier League's 2000s and 2010s. Think about Luis Nani, whose best Manchester United performances were considerably more productive than his reputation suggests. Or Leighton Baines, who was arguably the most influential creative force at Everton ...

Ranking the top 10 ‘Streets Won’t Forget’ Premier League Midfielders of the 2000s and 2010s

7Nov

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

All-Time Lists

Ranking the top 10 ‘Streets Won’t Forget’ Premier League Midfielders of the 2000s and 2010s

There is something special about a footballer who makes you stop what you're doing and watch. Not necessarily because he plays for a title contender, collects individual awards or produces impressive numbers every weekend, but because you never quite know what he's going to do next. The Premier League has had plenty of those players. The 2000s and 2010s were particularly rich in midfielders who played with personality, produced moments of outrageous technical quality and occasionally made the extraordinary look routine. Some were genuine superstars. Others were cult heroes who became legends at clubs that rarely challenged for the biggest prizes. A few had careers that were as unconventional as their playing styles. But they all had something in common: they gave football fans mom...

Morgan Rogers is answering the big doubts for Jordan Henderson

11Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Morgan Rogers is answering the big doubts for Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson raised a lot of eyebrows when Chelsea signed him, and many wondered why the Blues were after a "past it" Liverpool icon, but with his two goals and an assist against Bournemouth, he blew a lot of minds by totally bossing the pitch with incredible end product. Another new Chelsea signing who was a lot more expensive with much more hype has been a king of end product in Morgan Rogers, and the attacking midfielder waxed poetic about "Hendo" after the 5-1 win. Rogers told reporters, via Peter Rutzler of The Times, "People said he was too old and you saw (vs Bournemouth) what he does. Everyone in the dressing room knows what he can do. He's probably still the fittest player at the club to be honest. He's a machine. People forget about his football because they just think ...

Paul Merson spit the take Chelsea fans have been screaming for a long time

11Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Paul Merson spit the take Chelsea fans have been screaming for a long time

Chelsea star defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo was finally back in the starting lineup after several weeks out with a calf injury, and he was monstrous next to new signing Jordan Henderson as the Blues blew out the Cherries 5-1. Everyone around Chelsea has been praising Caicedo highly, and now pundit Paul Merson, a former Arsenal star, has joined in by effusively praising the Ecuadorian defensive midfielder on Sky Sports: "When you’ve got Henderson and Caicedo in there, they can just sit, and you just let the other three just get on with it. They shouldn’t let in too many goals, they shouldn’t be that open, because you’ve got them two that can hold in midfield and then you’ve got three that are as good as anything. Henderson’s got the experience and Caicedo, for me, is the best hol...

Levi Colwill admitted the issue every Chelsea fan can see

11Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Levi Colwill admitted the issue every Chelsea fan can see

Chelsea have transitioned to a new formation with a back three under Xabi Alonso, and while Levi Colwill used to play in that formation, everyone can see that he is still adjusting to making his full impact defensively. Colwill told reporters after Chelsea's key win over Bournemouth, "I haven't played on the left of a three for maybe two years, and it's a lot different. So I'm still adjusting. I've still got to learn so much about the role and try to improve in the position..." While Colwill has looked good in one on ones, he isn't making enough plays defensively with fewer than a tackle and an interception per game for the Blues in a handful of starts as the left sided center back. Chelsea and Colwill are all adjusting to the new coach and new responsibilities, but as Colwill say...

Xabi Alonso said how every Chelsea fan feels about Moises Caicedo

11Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Xabi Alonso said how every Chelsea fan feels about Moises Caicedo

Chelsea finally got defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo back on the pitch after being out for several weeks with a calf injury, and it is no coincidence that they won against Bournemouth with their all important defensive anchor. Xabi Alonso was like everyone else in the Chelsea fan base, just dying to see Caicedo, and he had this to say about having the Ecuadorian star back in his lineup, “I couldn’t wait to have him back to be honest because with Moi on the pitch everything looks more in place because he’s so important, so pivotal.” Caicedo had four tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances with three fouls drawn in a perfect No. 6's performance in the 5-1 blowout win over the Cherries. He was dominant, as ever, and, yes, it was great to see him back out there. E...

Chelsea are mulling a move for the elite defender they should have signed years ago

9Oct

By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments

Analysis

Chelsea are mulling a move for the elite defender they should have signed years ago

Chelsea had one of the worst defenses in the Premier League last season, and that held them back from making it into a Champions League place - and it also led to Enzo Maresca's tantrums and mid-season departure. The Blues signed Crystal Palace star Maxence Lacroix, but sitting in 10th place right now, it is hard to say that they are materially better, even with Levi Colwill healthy and Lacroix serving as a significant upgrade. Chelsea still need more help for Alonso's new look back three, and according to a report from Matteo Moretto, Chelsea are analyzing the numbers to see if a move for Jules Kounde is plausible. Kounde was actually supposed to join Chelsea years ago from Sevilla as their dream center back upgrade, but he ended up staying in La Liga with Barcelona at the last s...