Tag: Chelsea

4 stars, 3 flops from Chelsea’s 3-2 opening win over Fulham
24Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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...
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Xabi Alonso is the last hope for Jamie Gittens
22Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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...
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The 10 Best Defensive Midfielders in the Premier League Right Now, Ranked
21Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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...
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The 25 Best Premier League Players Right Now, Ranked
20Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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...
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Predicting every Premier League team’s goal scoring leader in 2026/27
15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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...
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15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
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. ...
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Updated Premier League Power Rankings before the 2026/27 season starts
15Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Updated Premier League Power Rankings before the 2026/27 season starts

With just a week left until the 2026/27 Premier League season starts, it's time to power rank every team in the English top flight from worst to first. 20. Ipswich Town 19. Hull 18. Coventry Just like 2024/25, all the new Premier League clubs look set to go straight back down. Until they prove otherwise, they just don't have the talent on paper to cut it in the top flight, and unlike Sunderland and Leeds last season, they didn't make sweeping - and smart - upgrades to their squad. 17. Crystal Palace 16. Leeds 15. Nottingham Forest 14. Everton 13. Newcastle 12. Brentford 11. Sunderland 10. Bournemouth 9. Brighton The hodge podge of the Premier League table is incredibly difficult to predict, but it's quite alarming to see how little progress Newcastle United have made since Sa...
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3 Premier League teams ready to steal European qualification spots in the 2026/27 season
14Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

3 Premier League teams ready to steal European qualification spots in the 2026/27 season

The 2026/27 Premier League season is only about a week away, and here are three teams that didn't make it into the top eight to qualify for European football last season who could come roaring back this season. Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham are easily the best bounce back candidates to bet on for the 2026/27 Premier League season, because they have been on a tear this summer transfer window. While winning the transfer window isn't always a blessing, the moves Roberto De Zerbi and Johan Lange make are definitely going to take Spurs to another level. After back to back 17th placed finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham finally have a great midfield with the additions of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who join Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray at the base and James Maddison in the ...
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Ranking Premier League strikers by skills: Best finishing, dribbling, heading, work rate, passing
14Aug By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking Premier League strikers by skills: Best finishing, dribbling, heading, work rate, passing

The 2026/27 Premier League season is rapidly approaching, and it's time to take a page out of ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky's book with NFL quarterbacks by ranking the top 10 strikers in the league in five different major traits. Finishing Erling Haaland, Manchester City Alexander Isak, Liverpool Eli Junior Kroupi, Bournemouth Igor Thiago, Brentford Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa Joao Pedro, Chelsea Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Leeds Erling Haaland stands in a tier of his own, but let's not forget that before Alexander Isak's move to Liverpool and the injuries that ensued, some people wer wondering if he could be the best striker in the Premier League Meanwhile, Eli Junio...
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Ranking the 10 best dribblers in the Premier League right now
10Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best dribblers in the Premier League right now

A lot of Premier League fans lament that the league is not as exciting as it was in the past and that there are fewer players who are getting us all up out of our seats. But these 10 electrifying dribblers would beg to differ. Using a combination of analytics like dribbles completed, fouls drawn, and times dispossessed, here are the 10 best dribblers in the 2025/26 Premier League. 10. Crysencio Summerville, West Ham Crysencio Summerville has so much raw upside, and because of his physical strength, he's able to both explode and out wrestle himself past defenders. He needs to improve his technical skills, but with more than two fouls drawn per game, the rising star is already a menace for Premier League defenses to contend wtih. 9. Amad Diallo, Manchester United Matheus Cunha is a more ...
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