For the Premier League’s biggest clubs, this competition is usually an opportunity to blood youngsters and give fringe players valuable minutes. However, only 35-year-old Danny Welbeck, who scored twice, emerged from the starters with a compelling case for more regular involvement. Even Valentin Barco, despite scoring Chelsea’s fifth goal, was partly at fault for Leeds’ … Read more
After a weekend on which pretty much every potential challenger to Arsenal had demonstrated their flaws, there was a sense, perhaps even a need, for Chelsea to emerge as a serious contender – if only to prevent the title race becoming a procession. And while they were far from flawless, there were at least some … Read more
Enzo Fernandez has shown a “really good attitude” since his return to Chelsea, says head coach Xabi Alonso, as speculation over the midfielder’s future continues. Chelsea agreed with Fernandez’s agent Javier Pastore in late May that the Argentina midfielder could leave for £120m, but set a deadline of 14 August for any bids. With last … Read more
Arsenal and Chelsea doing business with one another used to be on just one condition: “only if we have to”. The London rivals didn’t actually negotiate a deal until 2006, and the highly contentious cross-capital switch of Ashley Cole from north to west – with William Gallas thrown into the deal for good measure. Even … Read more
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso wants Martin Zubimendi of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. That’s according to reports from Spain, which claim the new Blues boss still wants to add faces to his midfield options, and has targeted his fellow Spaniard as a potential new signing alongside Moises Caicedo. Zubimendi has enjoyed a phenomenal 12 months, winning … Read more
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says he is “very happy” to be welcoming Mykhailo Mudryk back into his squad, but it is “too early” to understand what he can do. The Ukraine winger, 25, will join Chelsea’s pre-season tour after resolving his doping case with the Football Association (FA). Mudryk has not played a match since … Read more
Chelsea could soon be joined in Hong Kong by Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, senior players added to the squad to ensure that new manager Xabi Alonso has some experience to draw upon. The Blues have been busy in the transfer market since the end of the World Cup. Henderson and Welbeck are following Marco … Read more
Xabi Alonso’s first match as Chelsea manager was defined by four strikers – an untouchable one, one that struggled again and could leave, a promising talent, and one that could join. The star was Joao Pedro, who scored a nine-minute hat-trick to help Alonso’s side to a 6-4 win against Western Sydney Wanderers in a … Read more