All posts by n8rngtd.top

Manchester City fans were forced to stay inside the Juventus Stadium until the final whistle so that they could witness the bitter end to the match.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Juventus beat Man City 2-0 in UCL
• Visiting fans hoping to leave well before full-time
• Stadium stewards forced them to stay until the end

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pep Guardiola's team fell to a 2-0 loss against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium with Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie scoring for the hosts. However, in the final few minutes, nearly 2,000 travelling City fans contemplated an early exit. However, the stadium's public address system announced that they would have to stay put which forced them to witness the jubilant celebrations of Juventus supporters at the final whistle.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The move to keep Manchester City fans in the stadium is not unusual in European football, particularly in Italy, where such measures are implemented to avoid potential conflicts between rival fan groups. While frustrating for the travelling supporters, these actions are part of efforts to maintain order and prevent any violent clashes.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  City now face serious challenges in their bid to progress in the Champions League. After earning just eight points from six group-stage matches, the team has slid from 17th to 22nd in the standings, leaving them precariously close to elimination. With only the top 24 teams advancing to the knockout rounds, Guardiola’s men are running out of time to salvage their European campaign. Their remaining fixtures include a daunting away match against Paris Saint-Germain in January, followed by a home game against Club Brugge.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  City’s struggles extend beyond the Champions League. Since the beginning of November, the team has conceded 21 goals across all competitions – more than any other club from Europe’s top five leagues. Adding to their woes, City are now slated to face arch-rivals Manchester United in a high-stakes derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Club chiefs are expecting Tottenham to make a bid for their £34 million player after opening transfer talks, with Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou seemingly on the hunt for another fresh addition before deadline day.

Postecoglou refuses to rule out another Spurs signing after Solanke

After getting his top target and desired striker through the door in Dominic Solanke, Postecoglou has publicly refused to rule out the possibility of another signing before the cut-off.

Hansi Flick green-lights Barcelona move for £120,000-a-week Tottenham ace

The Catalans have turned their attention to him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 13, 2024

Solanke, who will cost Spurs £65 million in total, scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, and it is believed Postecoglou had the Englishman at the top of his list in terms of potential new forward men (David Ornstein).

This is backed by the 58-year-old himself, who recently admitted to the media that he was "very keen" to bring the striker to Spurs.

“He was obviously one I was very keen to get in," said Postecoglou on signing Solanke.

"It took a while to get it over the line but I think he will be a great fit for us in terms of the player he is and the point of his career where he is at. I think he will be a good fit. As I said, we are a bit light in that front third in terms of adding quality not just to the squad but also to our team. He certainly does that. Pleased to get him on board and we have a week and a bit to work with him.”

The deal for Solanke means Postecoglou has finally replaced club record goalscorer and ex-superstar Harry Kane, 12 months after his multi-million pound move to Bayern Munich.

Following their move for the 26-year-old, and Postecoglou hinting there will be "activity" at Spurs towards the end of this transfer window, a position that the Lilywhites could look to reinforce is at full-back.

Emerson Royal finally completed his move to AC Milan from Spurs earlier this week, putting an end to his three-year spell in north London. The Brazilian's departure means Tottenham are one short of an alternative to Pedro Porro, and even Destiny Udogie, as Emerson played left-back on occasion last term.

Monaco expecting Tottenham bid for Vanderson after talks opened

Therefore, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and the wider recruitment team could be exploring the market for new options.

Tottenham have displayed a rumoured interest in re-signing Kyle Walker-Peters as one option, but Monaco right-back and Brazilian sensation Vanderson is another target.

According to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade, sharing news on X, Monaco are expecting a £34 million bid from Tottenham for Vanderson as Spurs open talks – coming after Emerson departed the club for Milan.

The former Gremio starlet played 20 Ligue 1 games for Monaco last season, scoring three goals and assisting one other, while averaging an impressive match rating per 90 of 7.01 according to WhoScored.

The 23-year-old amassed similar numbers the season prior, so after two proven campaigns at the very top level in France, perhaps he's ready for a leap to the Premier League.

“Vanderson has been less consistent recently, but he is still a young player," said Rangers boss Philippe Clement in 2022.

"He had an exceptional adaptation here [last season]. We have already spoken about that. He is also a player who is and continues to interest lots of big clubs. That can possibly do something to the mindset, not that he didn’t have his feet on the ground, but Vanderson is very ambitious and a huge perfectionist.

“Every day he wants to be better than the last. That can give him a lot of pressure, lots of stress with all of the ambition that he has. We need to manage that more for him. If I left him to it, he would train for 18 hours a day. He is like that. Sometimes we need physical and mental breaks and he is a young player that needs to manage that. He will do it, because he has such a positive frame of mind.”

Manchester City players slept at the club's training ground ahead of their meeting with Everton on Boxing Day.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• City spend Christmas night at training ground
• Guardiola's side host Everton on Boxing Day
• Catalan on worst managerial run of his career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After just one win in 12 games in all competitions, Guardiola is desperate for his side to return to title-challenging form at home to Everton on Boxing Day.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A meeting against Sean Dyche's side, 15th in the table, affords City the chance to arrest an alarming run of form that has seen them fall out of the title race.

  Ahead of the game, Guardiola revealed his plan for the squad to sleep at the Etihad Campus on Christmas night. The base has 80 bedrooms, with the cost of mattresses and pillows reaching £150,000 according to the .

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Guardiola said: "We train today (Tuesday), we train tomorrow (Wednesday) night, we will stay over here and we are going to play on Boxing Day. Hopefully they want to be here, because it’s our job. This situation is new for all of us. It’s about us, everyone. The guys are running and making an effort more than ever.

  "People say we are not running, fighting, it’s this player, this manager – it is not about that. It is about many little details or some big details that make us not as good as we were. But we have another opportunity on Boxing Day. We have players coming back and at a certain time we will be better."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Manchester City are on their worst run of form since 2004, back when Kevin Keegan was manager. In this spell, they went 15 games without a win in all competitions.

Newcastle United are said to be readying an offer to sign a £165,000-per-week forward who has previously scored a hat-trick at St James’ Park, according to a recent report.

The Magpies have had a rather quiet transfer window so far, but that didn’t stop the club from getting off to a good start in the Premier League opening weekend. Eddie Howe’s team secured a 1-0 win at home to Southampton, despite spending the majority of the game down to 10 men.

There isn’t much left in this summer transfer window, and while Newcastle have had to remain patient due to the financial fair play rules, there could still be movement from the club in the coming week.

He's like De Ligt: Newcastle target move for £26m Guehi alternative

Eddie Howe is desperate to bolster his defence during the current transfer window

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 20, 2024

Newcastle United transfer news

So far in this transfer window, Newcastle have added to their squad by signing five new players over the course of the summer. However, two of those additions have been goalkeepers, as Howe was keen on strengthening that department. Another arrival was defender Lewis Hall, who was already at the club last season on loan from fellow top-flight side Chelsea.

Other purchases have seen them sign defender Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer after he left AFC Bournemouth, and most recently, they have signed striker William Osula from Sheffield United.

But the club is still continuing to look in the market, as Newcastle have seen four bids rejected now for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. The centre-back had a very impressive summer for England in Euro 2024, and since his return, he has been the subject of interest from the Magpies.

The club made a fourth bid for the centre-back last week, which is said to have been in the region of £65 million, and that bid has reportedly been rejected by Palace once again. Negotiations are said to be continuing, as Howe has made Guehi his number one target to improve his defensive options.

As well as chasing a deal for Guehi, reports emerged last week that Newcastle could make a move to sign Juventus forward Federico Chiesa. It was reported that the Premier League side could land the attacker if funds become available late in this transfer window.

It now appears as though there is a new forward on the radar of Newcastle and Howe.

Newcastle United are readying attractive offer to sign Ferran Torres

According to Football Insider, Newcastle are readying an “attractive offer” to sign forward Ferran Torres from Barcelona. Torres has previous experience in England, as the winger spent a season and a half with Manchester City, scoring a hat-trick at St James' Park in 2021, before returning to Spain and joining Barca.

Torres, on £165,000-a-week, has struggled since returning to Spain, as he’s been in and out of the side, but did get off to a good start this season, as he started the club’s opening league game.

Now, according to a report relayed in Spain, Newcastle’s sporting director Paul Mitchell is looking to sign a winger amid uncertainty around the future of Miguel Almiron. Torres has emerged as their top target, and a bid is said to arrive in the coming days.

Torres’ price tag is around £25.5 million, a figure that the Magpies are unlikely to have any problem paying. However, the forward is said to be keen on staying at Barcelona this summer, despite interest from England.

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has given an honest assessment on whether his son Cristianinho can follow in his footsteps as a pro footballer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ronaldo opened up about eldest son
• Praised Cristianinho's physicality
• Al-Nassr next face Al-Akhdoud

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo spoke highly of his eldest son Cristianinho's physicality as he said that the young boy is taller and stronger than he was at the same age. The Al-Nassr star also discussed Cristiano Jr's potential as a footballer as he continues to work his way through the club's youth ranks.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cristiano Jr, who turned 14 in December, took his first steps into football at a young age and has represented youth teams of Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United before joining the Al-Nassr U13 side once his father completed his move to Saudi Arabia in January 2023.

• WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

  Speaking to his agent Ricardo Regufe on the sidelines of a training session in a new Netflix documentary on the Saudi Pro League, the 39-year-old said of his son's development (via ): "Honestly, he's a good boy. The others are more difficult, the ones I have at home, the little ones. I have no problems with this one. But with the others… He's taller and stronger than I was at his age. I think he'll be taller than me."

  Regufe then said: "We'll see if he's as hungry," and Ronaldo replied: "Hunger is the hardest part."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

  The Portugal legend will be back in action after the winter break on January 9 as Al-Nassr take on Al-Akhdoud in a Saudi Pro League clash.

It's been a mixed start to the Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side drew 1-1 away to Leicester City in their opening game of the campaign, then smashed Everton 4-0 at home the following weekend before falling to a 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle United last week.

However, while the results certainly haven't been ideal, the performances have given fans reasons to be hopeful, and just like he was last season, Son Heung-min looks like he's going to be one of the club's biggest goal threats this year.

However, as talented as the South Korean superstar is, he is also 32 years old. Therefore, the Lilywhites have to start thinking about a long-term replacement for him, although the good news is that they may well already have one.

Son's Spurs career

Tottenham fans have been blessed with some incredibly talented players in their recent history, from Luka Modrić and Gareth Bale over a decade ago to Harry Kane and Son in recent years.

However, while the others eventually left, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace has remained in N17 and has established himself as a bonafide modern-day legend amongst the fanbase, and for good reason.

Since making his £22m move to the club in 2015, the Chuncheon-born dynamo has made 411 appearances, in which he has scored a staggering 164 goals and provided 84 assists to boot, meaning that he has averaged a goal involvement every 1.65 games since his arrival – talk about world-class.

In fact, he is such an elite goalscorer that in the 2021/22 season, he won the Premier League Golden Boot alongside Mohamed Salah, but what's so impressive is that none of his 23 league goals that season were penalties.

In all, Son is an icon of the Premier League and will go down as one of the Lilywhites' best-ever players, but at 32 years old, the club must plan for his eventual departure or decline, and while he's got enormous shoes to fill, the North Londoners might already have the perfect heir in their academy.

Why fans should be excited about Mikey Moore

The youngster in question is Spurs' academy gem, Mikey Moore.

The 17-year-old has been a tour de force in the Lilywhites' youth sides in recent years and, in just 33 appearances, has already racked up a seriously impressive haul of 20 goals and 15 assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 0.94 games, or 1.06 per match.

The "outstanding" talent, as dubbed by Postecoglou, has been so impressive in the junior sides that he has now made two senior competitive appearances despite still being just 17 years old.

However, while his small cameos in the Premier League this season show how highly the club rate him, his performances in preseason showed how special a player he is.

For example, the Southwark-born star scored against Hearts and Vissel Kobe during the summer, and while they were friendlies, it's still a massive step up from playing against kids.

Interestingly, the "brilliant" youngster, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, has played in a variety of positions, from centre-forward to attacking midfield, for the Lilywhites' youth teams.

However, his most played position remains left-wing, meaning that he could potentially come off the bench for the captain at points this season, in a bid to get more first-team minutes.

Ultimately, Moore is still a kid, and Son looks like he could play at the top level for another couple of years, but when he does eventually need to be replaced, Spurs should already have the perfect candidate.

Spurs flop who was sold for £13m is having a terrible time at his new club

Spurs must be thanking their lucky stars that they cashed in this summer.

By
Matt Dawson

Sep 3, 2024

Rooney was shown the door by the Pilgrims on New Year's Eve to end another short stint as a head coach and his future in management now looks bleak

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

The writing had been on the wall for some time for Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle. It was a bit of a surprise their unhappy marriage lasted as long as it actually did.

Rooney and Plymouth officially agreed to part ways on New Year's Eve, though reports suggest there was a pretty one-sided argument to that arrangement, with the 39-year-old effectively sacked. An unforgettably forgettable 25-match spell at Home Park was brought to a premature end.

There's been a familiar theme that has followed Rooney throughout his relatively short time in management, and it's not a particularly positive one. Wherever he has gone, chaos has ensued in such visceral contrast to his esteemed playing career.

With Rooney now out of a job again, now is the time for him to reflect on what he really wants from football.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Early promise has faded

  When Rooney returned to England from Major League Soccer in 2020, it was speculated it was with a move into management in mind. He signed a player-coach deal with Derby County in January of that year and was instantly made captain by then-manager Phillip Cocu, and it was immediately speculated Rooney would be the one to succeed the Dutchman on the occasion of his Pride Park departure.

  Indeed, Cocu was sacked early on during the 2020-21 season, with Rooney given the opportunity to lead a four-man staff including Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker. The situation was far from ideal though, as the Rams sat bottom of the Championship and were on the brink of financial ruin.

  Reports began to swirl that Rooney had been completely consumed by Derby's crisis, that he was sleeping on a sofa at the training ground in order to maximise his time helping them avoid relegation. The Rams survived on the final day of 2020-21, but were handed an impossible task of repeating that feat the following year, chalking up 21 points of deductions as a result of financial mismanagement. Rooney continued to fight for Derby, though could not stave off such an inevitable relegation this time around. Without those deductions, bare-bones Derby would have comfortably survived, and he resigned shortly after their drop into League One was confirmed.

  Rooney's next venture saw him return to MLS with D.C. United, who were struggling to achieve playoff status. In one-and-a-half years back in the American capital, he failed to edge them any closer to that dream and again walked away.

  And then his career began to spiral. He was named the unpopular replacement for John Eustace at Birmingham City in October 2023 under their new American ownership, headlined by minority investment from NFL legend Tom Brady. Rooney signed for the Blues amid an unlikely push for the Premier League, only to be fired 15 games later with the club on a one-way train to League One.

  That's why it was such a shock Plymouth took a punt on him so quickly after bursting into the flames of the St Andrews inferno. Barely six months had passed from leaving Birmingham to taking the reins down at Home Park. That's why it wasn't such a shock when everything went up in smoke again.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Numbers don't lie

  When you lay Rooney's managerial career out with the context, it's pretty damn wincing as it is. When you strip that back and look at the cold, hard numbers, it's excruciating.

  As we move into 2025, Rooney has overseen 178 matches as a manager or head coach, which is fairly impressive considering he hasn't even turned 40 yet. His record of 45 victories, 46 draws, 87 losses and a winning percentage of only 25.4, however, is not.

  Across four different clubs, he has failed to instil any sort of winning mentality. In the cases of Derby and Plymouth, whose squads were among the worst in their division at the time, that's understandable, but no such leeway or sympathy will be found over the disasters of his D.C. United and Birmingham failures, where matters were actively made worse by his presence. There is nothing that defines a Rooney team but losing.

  Time and age are on Rooney's side, though there's such a vacuum of evidence to this point he can be a winning manager regardless of situation or environment, and he's now more likely to drive suitors away with another horror spell added to his CV.

• Getty Images
  

  England's 'golden generation' problem

  Rooney, in his defence, is not alone in this circle of strangely unsuccessful managers. Many of his former England team-mates have also moved into management only to discover life wasn't as rosy on the other side of the chalked white lines.

  One of Rooney's final games at Plymouth saw him destroyed by Frank Lampard fresh into his days at Coventry City, returning to the Championship having managed Chelsea twice and Everton after his last stint in the second tier with, ironically, Derby. The former midfielder's stock has significantly fallen over the last four years having initially established himself as an up-and-coming coach capable of blooding young talent into senior setups.

  Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is similarly enduring a climbdown after ending Rangers' nine-year wait for a Scottish title, flaming out at Aston Villa and now struggling to redeem himself in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq. The less said about Gary Neville's time at Valencia, the better.

  It's a common and recurring narrative among England's 'golden generation', and when you consider how vocal those stars have been about the reasons behind their national team failures, perhaps it's easy to understand why. That side failed to connect on a human level, and that appears to have seeped through into their managerial styles, bringing a cold-shoulder approach that has led to frustration with players who are lesser than they were. In the case of Rooney, he is said to have suffered from a case of 'Glenn Hoddle syndrome' in which he may still have been better than some of his Plymouth charges.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Return to punditry?

  So if Rooney has no future in management, what else can he do to bide his time? Fortunately, there are a few options for him to mull over.

  reported on Tuesday that he could be in line for a return to TV punditry, with a source confirming his approval rating remains high in that arm of the industry.

  "Wayne is regarded as one of the best pundits in the business," a TV insider said. "He's very, very knowledgeable about the game. And even though he's actually quite a shy person, he really feels at home in a TV studio. It's been a rubbish end to 2024 for Wayne, but he's not going to be out of work for long. He'll be offered punditry work straight away and there's interest from Sky in a potential long-term deal to tie him down as a pundit.

  "Wayne still harbours ambitions of making it as a manager. But, like Gary Neville, it might end up being the case that he can carve out a more successful and lucrative career as a pundit rather than as a manager in the dugout."

  At worst, Rooney should at least be good for a quote about what the hell's going on at former club Manchester United, with so many other high-profile figures associated with the club wading in on their demise. Now that he's free from the neutral shackles of management, he can properly articulate what he feels.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be able to call upon a "warrior" in his squad for the rest of the 2024/2025 Premier League season, with a decision on the matter seemingly looming.

Arsenal prepare for Tottenham after 1-1 draw with Brighton

The north Londoners have two vital Premier League games awaiting them right after the international break, with trips to both north London neighbours Tottenham and title rivals Man City on the horizon.

Sporting director names Tottenham as potential 2025 move for £25m star

The north Londoners have a key advantage over every other suitor.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 3, 2024

Arsenal will also be looking to put their first dropped points of the season behind them, following their disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Brighton last weekend, when they also lost star midfielder Declan Rice to suspension.

Rice picked up two yellow cards during the encounter, and was perhaps harshly sent off, after his second bookable offence for kicking the ball away. The England star will therefore miss Arsenal's all-important clash against Tottenham, dealing a big blow to Arteta who must now cope without such a crucial player in his starting eleven.

As well as Rice, Arsenal will be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, after the Spaniard fractured his shoulder in his first ever training session at London Colney – not exactly the ideal start to life in London for him.

Arteta now has to decide how they will cope without both Rice and Merino. Some reports suggest that Arsenal are planning to slot Havertz into midfield with Sterling as a false nine, and as Arteta contemplates this tactical tweak, he must also decide on his final squad for the season.

Kieran Tierney could be ineligible for the rest of Arsenal's season

The deadline for each club to submit their full and final Premier League squad is September 13, and left-back Kieran Tierney will be a point of much debate within the club in this regard.

While the former Celtic star has now been included in their Champions League squad, which was seen as a shock choice considering he hasn't played for them for a year, Arteta still has some thinking to do in regard to Tierney as a domestic choice.

As relayed by London World, Tierney may not be included in Arsenal's final Premier League squad, and that would make him ineligible for the rest of this Premier League season domestically.

While the £120,000-per-week ace could return from his hamstring injury after the international break, and could be available for Spurs, it is a point of contention whether Tierney will even be selected in Arteta's final Premier League draft.

If Arsenal opt to leave the Scotland international in Premier League limbo, they must inform him soon, so he could potentially decide to chase up a move to Greece or Turkey if he doesn't want to solely be a squad player for Europe.

The Turkish and Greek windows remain open until the end of next week, so a loan move abroad would be a solution for the 27-year-old who's suffered from a plague of fitness issues in recent years – despite some praise.

"He has been solid," Ashley Cole told Sky Sports in 2021 (via The Metro). "I think he would have liked to see more game time, he’s had a few injuries that hampered his season. When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.

"He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left. for me, he can defend which is a plus."

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has explained why he is "always worried" as his side prepare for the "pressure" of facing lowly Southampton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd earn results at Liverpool & Arsenal
• Amorim explains why he is "always worried"
• Lifts lid on "pressure" ahead of Southampton game

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a promising 2-2 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League and a penalty shootout win away to Arsenal in the FA Cup, United head coach Amorim wants his team to maintain their high standards when they host bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Thursday. He admitted maintaining a consistently high level is a constant "worry" of his and that the Red Devils need to handle being favourites against the Saints.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  He told reporters: "Yeah, I’m always concerned because we didn’t have during these games the consistency in performance in result, so always worried, it’s my job to be worried but we have to face Southampton in the same way we faced Liverpool and Arsenal, that is the goal. Not more, not less, face that game. Understand there are difficult games and people expect us to win. That changes things, when you have the pressure to win that is the pressure we want. Sometimes it’s hard. Against Arsenal and Liverpool, nobody was expecting us to beat those teams but now we have to be prepared for that pressure, we need that pressure as a team and face the game the right way."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite their positive recent results, United are 14th in the Premier League and Amorim has won just four of his 13 games in charge so far. So a victory against the league's basement side is badly needed.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  This match is the first of three home games in a row, with United hosting Brighton on Sunday at Old Trafford in the Premier League before Rangers visit them on Thursday, January 23, in the Europa League.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been left impressed by one particular member of his squad in Cobham training, who is pulling out all the stops to turn his head and become a fixture in this new-look Blues team.

Chelsea record second win of the season against Bournemouth

Maresca’s side were made to battle hard at the Vitality Stadium in Saturday’s late kick-off, with the Cherries causing real problems on more than one occasion.

Chelsea given West Ham injury boost as "shining star" returns to training

Enzo Maresca could have him to call upon against the Hammers.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 17, 2024

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was even forced to deny a penalty from Evanilson, coming after the shot-stopper was booked for fouling him inside the penalty area, with the former making a fantastic diving save to his left as the score remained level.

It was a tough evening for Chelsea, who were made to be resolute on an afternoon where the south coast side really threatened to inflict misery on Maresca. The weakened Blues, who were minus a natural right-back with Malo Gusto and Reece James injured, answered question after question – and were ultimately rewarded for their efforts just minutes from added time.

Christopher Nkunku wriggled into the area, feeding off a pass from summer signing Jadon Sancho, before excellently finding his way through a host of Bournemouth bodies to fire an acute finish into the bottom corner past Mark Travers.

While Pedro Neto was criticised for his Bournemouth performance on the south coast, fellow new arrival Sancho helped to spare Maresca’s blushes with his assist for Nkunku – securing Chelsea their second Premier League win of the season.

Chelsea now prepare to take on West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday, with midfielder Romeo Lavia returning to training alongside the likes of Gusto after his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Jadon Sancho impressing Maresca in Chelsea training

At Cobham, it appears Sancho is making quite an impression on Maresca and his coaching staff, with supporters potentially shown a glimpse of what is to come through his Bournemouth assist.

According to GiveMeSport, it is believed Sancho has impressed Maresca in Chelsea training, mainly due to his effort in showing up early, displaying a faultless attitude and even making the effort to introduce himself to Cobham staff.

This will go a long way in the eyes of club chiefs and fans, who are eager to see the winger become a success following his loan move from Man United, which will be made permanent for around £25 million next summer.

The England international was left in the wilderness by Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, but Maresca may now grant him a new lease of life down south.

“I think we start second half much better and Jadon helped us a lot,” said Maresca on Sancho’s Chelsea debut against Bouremouth. “What he did tonight is exactly what we expected from him,” Maresca said. “As I said, I know Jadon very good because I watched him many, many times in the past and I know what he can give us.”