Chelsea are back in the box seat for a Champions League spot after the latest English Premier League results. Chelsea leapfrogged Arsenal on both the EPL table and the top-four betting market after they beat West Ham and the Gunners lost to Everton. With five games left, the Blues now lead Arsenal and Manchester United in the odds to qualify for next year’s Champions League.
Chelsea will have to let go of a few players this summer for continuity reasons. One player who the club should let go of in the best interest of the club and player himself is defender David Luiz.
There’s nothing ambiguous about the feelings that the Chelsea faithful hold towards manager Maurizio Sarri at this moment in time. The standoff between the supporters and Sarri has become an ill-tempered affair and quite frankly, quite an awkward one now that Chelsea fans have dismissed his playing style with a rather foul-mouthed chant that is catching on during match day.
The Premier League has reached its tab end. Manchester City and Liverpool are neck-and-neck over the run-in to lift the silverware this time around. They have been superb throughout the tournament. Other heavyweights have had their chances as well. For instance, the Blues from Stamford Bridge played exceptionally well. Currently placed fifth in the league table, the Blues don’t have much to show for the efforts they’ve put in. Makes one realize just how brutal mathematics can be at times.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of the most highly rated young players in England. The 18-year-old was recently rewarded with a place in the most recent England squad by Gareth Southgate for Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
Chelsea could be set to be faced with an interesting summer transfer window. The reason for this is that FIFA have slapped the club with a two-window transfer ban after finding contraventions in the way in which the club signed youth players.
Chelsea will have to recall a number of players this summer from loan in light of their two-window transfer ban imposed recently by FIFA – and where better place to start with than the goalkeeping department?
Chelsea will face an interesting summer transfer window. The Blues will likely have to make do with the resources they have as a result of a two-window transfer ban. The West London giants have arguably enough strength in depth in most positions but one area that could be a bit of concern is the forward department.
Chelsea have perhaps been guilty of some of the most hasty sales during the past few years. Some of the players sold by the Blues have gone on to establish themselves as World class talents elsewhere. The following are arguably three of the most reckless sales made by Chelsea during recent years.
Uncertain revolves around the future of Chelsea star Eden Hazard. The Belgian’s contract with the club is due to expire in the summer of 2020 and he has yet to sign a renewal. This essentially means that if the playmaker does not sign a contract extension, the club will risk losing him for a bargain fee next January or if the worst-case scenario arises, on a free transfer at the end of next season.
Chelsea could be set to face an interesting summer transfer window. The Blues will not be able to sign any new players as they have been slapped with a two-window transfer ban due to contraventions over the rules relating to the signing of youth players.
It would certainly hurt many Chelsea fans if Eden Hazard leaves Chelsea. The reception would likely be similar to the Thierry Henry got when he left Arsenal to join Barcelona during the summer of 2007.
Chelsea’s last-32 Europa League win against Malmo was marred somewhat by the news breaking the next day of a transfer ban being imposed on the club.
Chelsea were recently dealt a major blow as they were slapped with a transfer ban until January 2020 after being found guilty for breaking rules in terms of signing foreign players under the age of 18. World football governing body FIFA claimed that it found breaches in 29 cases of 92 investigated, notably that of Bertrand Traore who left the Blues in 2017 in order to link up with French club Lyon.
Many fans would be surprised to know that Tomas Kalas is currently the longest-serving player registered to the Chelsea first team. The Czech Republic international has been with the West London outfit since 2010 when he arrived from Sigma Olomouc.
The pressure on Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri may have been eased after the club recorded back to back Premier League wins against Tottenham and Fulham following the League Cup final loss on penalties to Manchester City. However, many fans and pundits still do not feel that Sarri is the right man to manage the club.
Chelsea came a whisker away from winning the 2008 Champions League final against arch-rivals Manchester United. First-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard meant that the game ended in a 1-1 draw and resulted in extra time. Both sides were unable to score during extra-time and the game subsequently went on penalties.
Head coach Sarri was looking fit for dismissal after some pretty hefty thrashing damaged Chelsea’s performance and looked set to hinder their progress. When they met Manchester City, the suffered something of a humiliating 6-0 defeat, and despite looking good for a FA Cup win were trashed by close rivals Manchester United. The team at bonusbets.com investigates the story and looks at the progress that has now been made.
Future prospects for Maurizio Sarri remaining at Stamford Bridge are looking bleak, as Danny Murphy pointed out in a recent interview with Sportingbet when he likened the Italian’s position to that of Jose Mourinho before he left Manchester United,
Some have questioned whether Chelsea signed Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund purely for footballing reasons.
Gonzalo Higuain scored his first two Chelsea goals in the Blues’ thumping win over Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine signed on loan from Juventus after an unsuccessful time at AC Milan in the opening six months of the 2018/19 campaign.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is currently under enormous pressure. The Blues look set to miss out on Champions League football for a second consecutive season and were also recently dumped out of the FA Cup at their own home ground by a resurgent Manchester United.
Gary Cahill is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. The veteran’s current contract at Stamford Bridge is due to come to an end next summer. He has so far only made one Premier League appearance this season and so it is quite evident that he is surplus to requirements at the club.
Things do not look good for Chelsea at the moment. Not only are they not title contenders, but it is hard to even see them finishing in the top four this season judging by the way that they are currently playing. Though they started this season strongly, Maurizio Sarri’s side’s 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend was their second humiliating defeat within the space of two weeks. They also went down 4-0 against Bournemouth late in January.
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger believes that winning a cup will be a perfect way for his side to round off this season.