Tag: Chelsea

Xabi Alonso has beautiful Moises Caicedo injury news for Chelsea fans
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Xabi Alonso has beautiful Moises Caicedo injury news for Chelsea fans

Purely from a defensive perspective, Chelsea star Moises Caicedo is the best defensive midfielder in the game, and with Enzo Fernandez now at Manchester City, his presence has been missed even more due to injury. Chelsea fans have been waiting on the edge of their seat for any injury updates regarding the Ecuadorian superstar midfielder, as Caicedo has been out since the end of August with a tricky calf injury. Caicedo was able to train and rest over the break, and with optimism that he would be able to return this weekend against Bournemouth as the Premier League returns, too, Xabi Alonso has finally confirmed the great news. Alonso told reporters before the Bournemouth match that his star No. 6 will be out there, "Yes, he’s finally ready to go”. Chelsea need to get back to wi...
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Chelsea are eyeing the biggest dream replacement for Enzo Fernandez
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Chelsea are eyeing the biggest dream replacement for Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea sold Enzo Fernandez this past summer transfer window to Manchester City after Real Madrid rejected him and the Argentinian international demanded to leave the club still. The Blues did not sign anyone to replace him, and they have been hurting in the midfield, currently 10th in the Premier League table with Xabi Alonso badly lacking that general. According to a report from Diario Sport in Catalunya, Chelsea are interested in signing Barcelona superstar center midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has remained in Barcelona despite years of transfer speculation. While De Jong is a multi time La Liga winner and one of the best metronomes in the world, after Barca signed Rodri and with young guns coming up like Marc Bernal and Marc Casado, perhaps the right offer could tempt Barca a...
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Xabi Alonso’s Jamie Gittens injury news isn’t as harsh as what Chelsea fans think
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Xabi Alonso’s Jamie Gittens injury news isn’t as harsh as what Chelsea fans think

Jamie Gittens was one of the best players in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 season, especially in the first half before Niko Kovac made the tactics more defensive so that Borussia Dortmund could actually stay in Champions League qualification. But since his approximately 50 million pound transfer to Chelsea, Gittens has been a disaster. Instead of looking like the improved player at Dortmund who was one of the best in Europe at taking defenders on, Gittens has been back to falling over the ball and carrying no goal threat. According to Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso at the press conference before Chelsea vs. Bournemouth, Gittens is injured and won't play against the Cherries. Furthermore, he won't even be available for weeks. Alonso said, "Jamie Gittens is out for tomorrow, that’s the...
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Xabi Alonso gave the Estevao update Chelsea fans needed to hear
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Xabi Alonso gave the Estevao update Chelsea fans needed to hear

Chelsea star right winger Estevao has only been able to play a couple of minutes here and there this season after a torn hamstring a couple of months ago, as the Blues have been wisely, slowly easing the way back for their biggest young gem on a squad filled with young gems. Estevao has a chance to become one of the best right wingers in the world, and after the September and October international break, Chelsea fans are dying to know when the 19 year old will be able to start again alongside an improved Chelsea attack after the signing of blockbuster left winger and attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers. Xabi Alonso gave an update on Estevao before Chelsea face Bournemouth in the return of the Premier League on Matchday 6, and it sounds like it won't be long before Chelsea rev up Estev...
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Ranking the 10 best players of the 2026/27 Premier League season heading into Matchday 6
8Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best players of the 2026/27 Premier League season heading into Matchday 6

Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 Premier League season is upon us after a lengthy international break. Let's take a reset and rank the top 10 players of the season so far. 10. Liverpool LW Cody Gakpo Cody Gakpo is having a phenomenal start to the season under Andoni Iraola, and hopefully the Liverpool forward does not miss much time with injury. He is one of the best creators in the league and can also finish off his chances. 9. Manchester United AM Bruno Fernandes The reigning Premier League Player of the Season can be too one-dimensional, but with 3 goals and 2.6 key passes per game, Bruno Fernandes is once again carrying a pretty subpar Man United team that is sitting in the bottom half of the table. 8.  Leeds CB Tarik Muharemovic Tarik Muharemovic looks even better than advertised at Sa...
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Ranking the 10 best goalkeepers of the 2026/27 Premier League season so far
8Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best goalkeepers of the 2026/27 Premier League season so far

The Premier League returns this weekend after an even longer international break than usual. So let's hype up the games being back by giving some love to the goalkeepers, using analytics to rank the best 10 keepers using only the first five games of the season. 10. Emiliano Martinez, Chelsea The save percentage does not fully capture how well Emiliano Martinez has been playing. He's not an elite Premier League goalkeeper anymore, but he is still excellent and a definite upgrade on Robert Sanchez for Chelsea. And honestly, his defense isn't making him look any better. 9. Bart Verbruggen, Brighton Bart Verbruggen needs to get more love as one of the world's top goalkeepers, and there's a reason why so many club have tried to steal him from Brighton. The Seagulls are getting a lot of pres...
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Morgan Rogers just showed how he can explode even more for Chelsea
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Morgan Rogers just showed how he can explode even more for Chelsea

Listen, Chelsea definitely raised more than a few eyebrows when they splurged a record 117 million pounds on Aston Villa's big gem Morgan Rogers, but so far, I don't see anyone questioning the money spent or the player they bought. Because Chelsea felt good about their right wing, attacking midfield, and striker situations, but they needed that world-class left winger. So far, Rogers has been a smash hit, scoring three goals for Chelsea through five games, and you can make a case that he's been their best attacking player this season, even on the same team as two top players like Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. Well, over the international break, Rogers continued to boost his stock, and he finished off the three weeks with an assist for Ballon d'Or favorite Harry Kane in England's 3-0 wi...
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The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break

It's time to talk Premier League again, as the season will return after the break in just a few days, starting with reigning champions Arsenal taking on surprise package Leeds United on Saturday. Although the break is a reset point for most, there are a handful of players who find themselves under immense pressure right now and are going to be squarely under the microscope when the action returns. Manchester United LW Marcus Rashford Marcus Rashford has started four games for Manchester United this season, and while he's had at least three key passes in three matches and has been pretty good on the ball with his dribbling, he really hasn't emerged as a clear option in the 11 for the Red Devils. And he wasn't even a player they wanted to keep for this season; they just had to take him bac...
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5 Premier League teams we still don’t know what to make of
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

5 Premier League teams we still don’t know what to make of

The 2026/27 Premier League season is back in action again this weekend with Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City vs. Liverpool headlining a host of tantalizing matchups. But as we await the next games, let's take a look at five teams that we are all having a hard time figuring out just where they will end up in May when the season concludes. Chelsea Chelsea sit 10th in the Premier League table right now, and their defense looks like a mess. They have clearly missed Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park both defensively and even going forward in possession, and they have to be honest and say that losing Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City was a pivotal switch that does not bode well for their hopes of getting back to European football. The Blues have talent on t...
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Premier League Grades for every Big 6 club heading into October after the international break
5Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Premier League Grades for every Big 6 club heading into October after the international break

The 2026/27 Premier League season is back in action after the September/October international break, and now that the cobwebs are clearing and our minds are getting integrated back into thinking about club football, it's time to take a step back and grade how all the Big Six clubs have been doing so far this season. Arsenal Honestly, even though Arsenal are not in first place right now. I have been blown away by the job Mikel Arteta has done thus far, and I really like how the attack looks with Greek star Christos Tzolis out on the left as compared to Gabriel Martinelli. On paper, Tzolis is less dynamic, but I don't really think Martinelli was doing enough to take players on and stretch the pitch anyway. So that small drawback is nothing compared to the huge benefit of having a player wh...
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