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Best Three Nigerian Players To Have Played For Chelsea

Throughout the years, Chelsea has had its fair share of Nigerian players, some of which such as Ross Barkley, Fikayo Tomori, and Tammy Abraham have Nigerian heritage but are thorough Englishmen.

This list will only include players who opted to commit their international careers to Nigeria.

3. Victor Moses

After some impressive displays in the Premier League for Wigan Athletic, Moses earned a move to Chelsea in the summer of 2012. His time at Chelsea has been an interesting one. Moses initially struggled to earn regular game time at Stamford Bridge, spending time on loan with the likes of Liverpool, Stoke City, and West Ham.

He was roped back into the fold by Antonio Conte and was a first-team regular for the club in the 2016/17 season as it won the Premier League title.

Moses remained a first-team regular in the 2017/18 season but fell down the pecking order again. Still contracted to the Blues, he is currently on loan with Spartak Moscow.

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2.  Celestine Babayaro

The 27-times capped former Nigerian international is another interesting character. He joined the Blues in 1997 from Anderlecht before it became a major force and remained on its books until 2005 and after the Roman Abramovich revolution.

Babayaro made 132 Premier League appearances for the Blues, helping it to win the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

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1. John Obi Mikel

He perhaps was never appreciated the way that he should have been but Obi Mikel has to go down as a Chelsea legend. He spent nine years at the club, something not many players are able to do due to the extremely competitive environment which exists at Stamford Bridge.

At 34-years-old, Mikel is still active in football, playing for Stoke City in the Championship. It remains to be seen whether he can help the Potters return to the Premier League.

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USA Coach Berhalter Hails Pulisic Progress

USA national team coach Greg Berhalter believes that Christian Pulisic is proving himself at Chelsea, following his successful comeback from injury. The 22-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019. He was immediately loaned back to the Germany club before joining the Blues permanently at the start of last season.

The American was on the shortlist for Premier League Young Player of the Year last term, and when using an 888sport Promo Code, he’s 12/1 to go one better and scoop the title this season amidst some exceptional performances.

“When Christian was moving from Dortmund to Chelsea we knew there was going to be an adaptation period,” said Berhalter to the Chelsea Mike’d Up Podcast. 

“He had to get used to the English game. It took time, and as he did that he came out performing really well, helping the team and scoring goals and being influential. All these things we projected him being able to do took an understandable time period.”

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Pulisic’s form has been encouraging at times

After a slow start to life in England, Pulisic began to find form and was largely strong in terms of his performances during his first season before an injury curtailed his progress. The highlight of Pulisic’s time at Chelsea so far was the hat trick which he scored against Burnley in October 2019. The triple made him only the second American to score a hat trick in Premier League history, with the other being former Fulham attacker Clint Dempsey. Pulisic went on to strike six goals for the club before his injury on New Years Day 2020.

There are heavy expectations on Pulisic

Despite being just 22, Pulisic is already widely regarded as being one of the greatest American football players in history and he is expected to usurp Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey in terms of European success. He initially established himself as one of the most highly-rated young prospects in European football during his time with Dortmund but started to be over-shadowed at the Bundesliga club following the arrival of Jadon Sancho in Germany during the summer of 2018. Pulisic’s transfer to Chelsea came at the right time as the emergence of Sancho cut his playing time at Chelsea.

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The American will be expected to become a key player for both Chelsea as well as the United States in the future. He has already made 34 appearances for the United States team and boasts 14 goals.

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Forget Mendy, Chelsea Must Eye Italian Keeper

After watching Kepa Arrizabalaga make error after error, Chelsea eventually realized that they had to make a change in goal, bringing in Edouard Mendy from Rennes last summer.

Mendy arrived at Stamford Bridge at the prime of his powers, at 28-years-old and following an impressive Ligue 1 season. The Senegal international initially showed some strong signs in England, however, some of his recent mistakes have led to concerns about whether he will truly ever be a world-class keeper.

The Blues need a world-class keeper between the sticks if they want to challenge for major silverware, they simply cannot have an ordinary keeper in the position.

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Donnarumma is now an elite keeper 

It’s safe to say that Donnarumma is now one of the best goalkeepers in world football. It’s hard to believe that the keeper dubbed the “modern-day Buffon” has already amassed nearly 200 appearances in the Serie A. He is still just 21-years-old and most players his age are still working their way into first-team football.

With keepers now playing well into their 40’s, especially Italian’s, Donnarumma could potentially have more than 19-years left in the tank. Gianluigi Buffon is still going strong for Juventus at 42 and if Donnarumma is to follow the example of the former long-time Italy first-choice keeper, he will play for another two decades.

Mendy seems like a decent enough goalkeeper to play in the Premier League. But is he good enough to help Chelsea win major trophies? Thus far, the signs have not been promising but time will tell.

Every side needs a top goalkeeper. Manchester City have that in Ederson, Liverpool have it in Alisson and Bayern Munich have it in Manuel Neuer.

During their heyday, Chelsea had that in Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois and since the departure of the latter to Real Madrid in 2018, they have been unable to win the Premier League.

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Craig Burley Believes Grealish Would Have Suited Chelsea

Former Chelsea star Craig Burley believes that Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish would have suited the Blues. Grealish played an instrumental role in terms of helping Villa to avoid relegation last season.

His form has been a totally different story this season. Villa are faring much better than they did last season and Grealish has established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League and a world class talent.

Dean Smith’s side are sixth in the standings with a game in hand over log leaders Liverpool. They managed to claim a memorable 7-2 win over defending champions Liverpool earlier this season with Grealish having been a star in that game.

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Grealish is on another level

As much as Grealish is a boyhood fan of Villa, he is now 25-years-old and will have to leave Villa Park soon if he wants to take his career to the next level and play in the Champions League.  There is no doubt that the vultures will come circling for his signature at the end of this season.

One of Grealish’s strengths is that he is capable of being deployed on the wings as well as in midfield. He may have been a good addition to Frank Lampard’s first-team.

Burley believes that he would have been a good acquisition amidst the struggles of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner in establishing themselves at Stamford Bridge.

“I wouldn’t have been against signing Jack Grealish. He’s been superb again, a fantastic season.” he said as reported by The Sun. 

“Timo Werner is a different kettle of fish because Jack Grealish is a midfielder who can do a bit of everything. Werner is an attacker, and in essence so is Havertz – although he can play a little deeper.

“Grealish would have given them more options than Havertz.”

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Report: German Could Replace Lampard If Things Don’t Improve

After a strong start to the season, Chelsea’s performances have begun to wane. There is no doubt that this will frustrate Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, a person who is known to be harsh when it comes to judging managers.

The Blues have lost three out of their last four Premier League games. There is no doubt that Lampard has a talented side at his disposal and anything other than a top-four finish in the league this season will simply not be acceptable.  Lampard was also given plenty of funds to invest last summer on bringing in new players so he certainly cannot be one to complain about not receiving sufficient backing from the board.

Should things fail to pick up under Lampard, the Blues could potentially move for Thomas Tuchel, as reported by The Daily Mail. 

Thomas Tuchel is available 

Tuchel was made available last week after PSG opted to sack him. The 47-year-old is vastly experienced as he has previously managed the likes of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in addition to PSG. In his time with PSG, he managed to win two Ligue 1 titles and also led the club to the final of the Champions League last season where they lost to Bayern Munich.

It was the best performance by PSG in the Champions League in the modern era.

The report added that Tuchel would love to have the opportunity to work with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. The trio have all been struggling to play well this season. The latter two in particular who arrived last summer were expected to be major hits in the Premier League.

However, they have so far failed to bring their past Bundesliga form to England. Tuchel could help to get the best out of them, given his intimate knowledge of German football.

 

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Lampard Comments On Chelsea’s Champions League Last 16 Opponents

Chelsea have been drawn to play against Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. This will present a big challenge for Frank Lampard’s side. Diego Simeone’s side are in good form and with Barcelona and Real Madrid not at their best this season, they a top contender to claim the La Liga title this season.

“I think most people will say it’s the toughest draw we could’ve had when you go on current form.” said Lampard (h/t: The Mirror). 

“We’re going to have to try to beat these sort of teams if we want to win the Champions League.”

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Chelsea are a top side now

After a few years of underachievement, the signs look like Chelsea are becoming a quality side again. The talented youngsters which were brought to the club prior to the start of this season look to be gelling in well.  The Blues were clinical in their Champions League Group E clashes as they topped their group without losing a single game.

Simeone’s side impressively knocked out Liverpool from Europe’s elite club competition last season. They also have one of the strongest defences in the world and have only conceded four goals from their last 11 games.

Atletico will go into the tie as favourites

Due to the fact that they have a more experienced side, Simeone’s side will probably go into the tie as the slight favourites. Chelsea though can take heart from the fact that they have proven that they have what it takes to compete in Spain.

In their Champions League group matches, they did not lose to Sevilla and even beat last season’s Europa League winners 4-0 in Spain. The Blues also got the edge over Atletico in the 2017/18 Champions League group stage and prevented them from advancing to the last 16 in that season.

They beat them away and managed to earn a draw at home.

 

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Chelsea Star Kai Havertz Raves About Billy Gilmour

Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz has revealed that he has been impressed by team-mate Billy Gilmour.

“We all know that Billy is a very talented player with a lot of qualities,” Kai Havertz told Chelsea’s official site.

“He is still very young like me, but in the Champions League he played very good, and we are all very happy with him. He has a big future ahead of him.

“We know we created a lot of chances but we have to score the goals, but we didn’t do that. We have to practice for that of course.”

After missing the first two months of the season following knee surgery in the summer, Gilmour made his first start of the season last week in his side’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Krasnodar.

The Scotland U21 international is one of the most highly-rated young prospects within the Blues first-team. He was introduced to the first-team picture last season and made 11 appearances in all competitions.  His advanced skills for his age have led to him being dubbed “the Scottish Messi” and he has been playing for the Scotland U-21 team since he was just 17-years-old.

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Gilmour will be aiming to become a first-team regular

Gilmour has attracted praise for his composure on the ball and drawn comparisons to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.  After getting his first start of the season, Gilmour’s target will now be to go on and become a first-team regular in the side this season.

As a manager, Frank Lampard has never shied away from giving youth regular playing time. It will now be up to Gilmour to prove himself in training and impress the boss.

Gilmour does not face an easy task, especially as the Blues spent £220 million on bolstering their squad last summer. If he does not become a first-team regular by the end of this season, he should seriously consider a loan spell in order to gain more experience at the highest level.

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Lampard Urged To Be Selfish In January Transfer Market

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged Frank Lampard to retain the services of Olivier Giroud beyond the January transfer window. The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in order to gain more regular playing time.

Giroud wants to play in the European Championships

It is no secret that the 34-year-old Giroud wants to be part of the French squad that will contest the rescheduled European Championships. To do that, he will need to be playing regularly. With Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham already in the Blues first-team, it is not certain that he will play regularly even though his recent form has been good.

Giroud scored all four of Chelsea’s goals in their thrashing of Sevilla in the Champions League last week. He followed that up by scoring the equalizing goal in the 3-1 victory over London rivals Leeds United last weekend.

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Chelsea could contest the Premier League title

The Premier League title race looks set to be one of the most thrilling in recent seasons. Chelsea’s recent form and the depth of their squad suggests that they could be title contenders this season. Hasselbaink believes that Giroud’s form and leadership could be invaluable in terms of determining whether the Blues win the title this season.

“I don’t think they can afford to let Giroud go,” Hasselbaink said to Premier League Productions. “Even if he’s not number one. Coming off the bench and making something different.

“I know that he is going to want to leave but I think Frank has to be very selfish there and say no.

“Maybe he can call [Didier] Deschamps and have that conversation with Deschamps saying, ‘Okay, what does he need to do to be in your team? How much does he need to play?’ and have that conversation with Giroud, ‘Okay, you’re going to play this amount of matches for sure so you can go to the European Championship’.

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Report: Chelsea Are Considering RB Leipzig Player As Understudy To Ben Chilwell

Chelsea are considering a move for RB Leipzig left-back Matthew Bondswell as an understudy to Ben Chilwell, according to The Mirror. 

The Englishman joined Leipzig as a youth product from Nottingham Forest in 2018. He has yet to make a Bundesliga appearance for Leipzig and is currently on loan with FC Dordrecht.

The fact that Leipzig have not yet handed caps to Bondswell at senior level could indicate that he is not in their first-team plans. Though Bondswell does not have much senior experience, he has been capped at various youth age group levels by England from U-15 to U-18.

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Bondswell could be a good investment for the future

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City last summer, Chilwell has made the left-back position his own and been an overwhelming success.

Frank Lampard is still able to call upon Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso, though it looks like the more experienced duo are now surplus to requirements at the club. Both players have also been linked with January moves away from the West London giants.

Lampard looks like he is keen to build his side around young talent and so a move for Bondswell could be a good long-term investment.

As the player is not yet highly experienced and not known to a broader audience, he is unlikely to command a hefty fee. One of Bondswell’s strengths is that he is able to operate as either a centre-back or a left-back. Last season, he also stepped into the Leipzig’s Under-19 team despite his tender age.

It will be interesting to see what the Blues do with Bondswell should they secure his signature. The logical thing to do would be to send him out on loan, ideally to an English club in order to acquire more experience. However, the Blues are unpredictable under Lampard and so it won’t be surprising if he is integrated into the first-team.

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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Issues Warning To Tammy Abraham

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has warned striker Tammy Abraham that he will need to step up this season. The Englishman scored 18 goals for the club last season. Questions were asked of him prior to the start of last season due to his lack of Premier League experience at that point. However, he did prove his doubters wrong.

Abraham’s form led to an England call-up. Whilst he has not yet established himself as a world-class player, he did prove that he has the ability to reach that level.

The 23-year-old has so far scored five goals from 15 games for the Blues this season and three have come in the Premier League.

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Why Abraham faces a tough predicament right now?

As things stand, Abraham is the Blues second choice striker, ahead of Olivier Giroud but behind Timo Werner. Werner joined the club from RB Leipzig last summer and could be set to remain the club’s first-choice striker for the long-term. The German has already proven himself to be a world-class player and will be expected to help lead the club to major international trophies.

With Chelsea set to only use one striker for the majority of their games, Abraham could be limited to a substitute or second-choice role for the long term and that is not something that would be ideal for his career growth, especially at this point in time.

He will have to be playing on a regular basis if he wants to win selection for the England national team, especially as he is competing against the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Harry Kane, and Danny Ings.

“For me, Abraham has to do better,” former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink told Sky Sports (H/T:Football London)

“James can’t do any better for him, he’s put that ball in the right space. Put your head against it, it doesn’t matter who you are, these are brilliant crosses.

“For a striker, this is what you want, at this moment. These are the moments that are counting for Abraham, where he needs to step up.

“James can’t do any better for him, he’s put that ball in the right space. Put your head against it, it doesn’t matter who you are, these are brilliant crosses.

“For a striker, this is what you want, at this moment. These are the moments that are counting for Abraham, where he needs to step up.

“Why is he going to the floor? Stand up, you’ve already done the most difficult thing. Stay on your feet and tap it in. It’s 1-0, it’s always going to be a 1-0 game.

“He’s had three chances where he has to make it his own. He has to improve in those moments.”

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Patrice Evra Backs Chelsea Linked Player To Leave Current Club

Manchester United legend Patrice Evra has backed Declan Rice to leave West Ham in the near future.

The 21-year-old who can play as either a centre-back or defensive midfielder has established himself as one of the top young talents in the Premier League. Since bring integrated into the Hammers first-team in 2015, he has gone on to make 105 Premier League appearances for the club.

Rice is a first-team regular for the Hammers and even wears the captain’s armband in the absence of veteran Mark Noble. With Noble past his prime, Rice is likely to captain the East Londoners for many games this season.

Rice has also established himself as a regular for the England national team. Since making his debut for the Three Lions against the Czech Republic in March 2019, he has gone on to make 13 appearances for Gareth Southgate’s side.

“Moyes has given him the captaincy, so for me, it symbols the future of West Ham. It’s not easy to put Mark Noble on the bench,” said Evra on Sky Sports (H/T: The Express). 

“They know they are going to lose him, because many big clubs are interested in Declan, but right now, he’s the man of West Ham. I’m not surprised.

“I knew this player would never allow his head to get bigger because he’s so focused and so humble, and you can see him smiling – he’s happy, what a joy.

“I’m very pleased for him.”

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Chelsea and Rice could be a good match 

Let’s face it, it is highly unlikely that Rice will remain with West Ham for the long-term. He needs to take his career to the next level and join a side which can challenge for major silverware. Whilst the Hammers are a decent side, they are unlikely to challenge for honours anytime soon.

Rice is believed to be best friends with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount. As a development player, he also spent eight years with the Blues before being released in 2014 and subsequently joining West Ham in the same year.

It is probable that Rice’s childhood ambition was to play for the Chelsea first-team at Stamford Bridge. He will be able to achieve that under Frank Lampard who is building the core of his side around young talent.

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Chelsea Should Let Olivier Giroud Leave In January

It is safe to say that Olivier Giroud is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. The striker has become the Blues third-choice striker since the arrival of Timo Werner at the club last summer.

The third choice striker usually does not feature much for the club. It would be better if the Blues had a young striker occupying the third choice striker role, someone who would be able to feed off the knowledge of Tammy Abraham and Werner whilst providing them with stuff competition.

He memorably finished as the leading goal scorer in the 2018/19 Europa League as he banged in 11 goals to guide the Blues to the trophy. The trophy was a welcome relief for the club after they had struggled that season.

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Giroud has done his fair share for the club

The Frenchman surprisingly joined the club in January 2018 from Arsenal. He joined at a time when Alvaro Morata was struggling to score goals for the club. Most people would not have expected Giroud to remain at the club for the almost three years.

He ended up being a good servant to the club since then. The transfer ban which the Blues were slapped with last season meant that the club had to keep Giroud for longer than they would have anticipated.

The 2018 World Cup winner still has international ambitions and wants to play in the rescheduled European Championships next year. It is safe to say that Giroud will probably not make the France Euro squad if he does not play regularly.

The criteria for gaining selection to Les Bleus is incredibly difficult. The French will go into the European Championships as one of the favourites.

Giroud could still have a lot to contribute to the French squad even though he is now 34-years-old. His skills and experience mean that young players can learn a lot from him.

 

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Olivier Giroud’s Agent Lashes Out At Frank Lampard

Michael Manuello, the agent of Olivier Giroud has claimed that his client has been unfairly treated by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

The Frenchman is currently the third choice striker at Stamford Bridge- behind Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner who joined the club from RB Leipzig in the summer.

Giroud’s lack of regular game time could negatively affect his chances of gaining selection to the France team which will contest the rescheduled European Championships next year.

“With Olivier Giroud and without the signings, Chelsea were on 18 points from nine matches. These 18 points were gathered when Olivier started seven times. Chelsea scored 18 goals,” Manuello told Foot Mercato (H/T: The Standard). 

“Since the beginning of the season, Chelsea have played eight matches, scored 22 goals and taken 15 points. So if they win their next match, they will equal what Olivier did last year.

“It is not the same to play with (Hakim)  Ziyech, Havertz, Werner than playing without them. So we need to look at this relatively.

“But at the same time you’d be blind not to see that Frank Lampard has decided to put Tammy Abraham ahead of him. It is not frankly fair when you look at what Olivier did at the end of the season. But he has the right, it is his choice.”

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Giroud was in impressive form towards the end of last season

The veteran was in impressive form after the lockdown. He scored seven goals from 12 games after the COVID-19 lockdown and usurped Abraham in the club’s pecking order for some time. He ended last season as Lampard’s first-choice striker.

Giroud has little chance of regular game-time for the Blues

Lampard appears to be trying to build his side around young talent. Now 34-years-old and well past his prime, it looks unlikely that Giroud will be able to move up the pecking order again. Werner’s form has also been strong since his arrival at the club which makes it more unlikely.

Regardless of this, it is safe to say that Giroud’s contributions to the team since his arrival at the club in January 2018 has been positive. Nobody would have expected him to last almost three years with the club, especially as he arrived when he was already well over 30.

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Former Chelsea Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic: Kepa Can Bounce Back

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has backed Kepa Arrizabalaga to return to form and “prove everyone wrong”.

The Spaniard joined the Blues during the summer of 2018 for a fee of £71 million from La Liga club Athletic Bilbao. There were naturally heavy expectations on Kepa, especially as he was replacing Thibaut Courtois who was joining Real Madrid around the same time.

“I don’t think it’s gone to plan for everyone,” Begovic said to TalkSport.

“These situations are never straightforward. If you spend a big transfer fee it doesn’t mean everything is going to work out; there are a lot of factors into making a move work and making an impact at a club.

“Mendy has come in and done really, really well, I think he’s really solidified that position. He’s been impressive, he’s been a joy to watch to be honest and he’s someone I really enjoy watching.

“But can Kepa still prove everybody wrong? Possibly. I think Kepa is a really good goalkeeper, he played really well in Spain before his move to Chelsea and it’s obviously been a bit of a tricky time for him.

“He’s got really good quality and I’m sure he’ll be a huge success, whether it’s at Chelsea or somewhere else.

“When you have that equality it’s only going to be matter of time before things turn around for him again in a positive way.”

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Kepa was never convincing in goal for Chelsea

Kepa has never been convincing in goal for the Blues. He has certainly never shown signs of emulating the heroics of his predecessors- Courtois and Petr Cech. He made several high-profile errors in his time as Blues’ first-choice goalkeeper. This prompted Frank Lampard to recruit Senegalese keeper Edouard Mendy. Mendy has since taken over as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper following his arrival. His performances have attracted praise from fans and pundits alike.

After sustaining a shoulder injury last month, Kepa has not even featured on the bench for Chelsea in recent games. His current situation has raised questions about his future with the Blues. The 26-year-old may want to leave the club in order to find first-team football elsewhere.

He was also tipped to potentially dislodge David de Gea as the first-choice goalkeeper of the Spanish national team. Kepa cannot afford to play second fiddle to Mendy at Stamford Bridge if he has hopes of usurping De Gea in the Spanish national team pecking order.

 

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Chelsea Defender Ben Chilwell Raves About Timo Werner

Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has been left impressed by the contributions of his team-mate Timo Werner so far. The German joined the Blues ahead of this season from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. Werner arrived in England with an impressive reputation after having established himself as one of the best German strikers in recent years.

He has so far adapted well to life in England, scoring four goals from his first eight Premier League appearances for Chelsea.

Chilwell believes that Werner is on a similar level as Tottenham striker Harry Kane and prolific Leicester forward Jamie Vardy. He has backed Werner to even challenge for the Golden Boot this season.

“I’d already say he’s up there with them two [Kane and Vardy] and he can definitely go on to be absolutely world-class for a long time for the next 10 years or so,” Chilwell told Soccer AM.

“I think when you look at his age and how prolific he is in front of goal, even now his start at Chelsea he’s scored a lot of goals already. Just in front of goal he’s so good.

“He has similar characteristics to both Vardy and Harry to be fair. In terms of running the channels and how quick he is it’s similar to Vardy. With Harry his link-up play and his finishing is similar.

“He’s definitely in a category with them two.”

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This season will be about learning for Werner

At 24-years-old, Werner is still a young player. He will reach the peak of his career in another three years. This season will be one of learning for the 33 times capped German international. Whilst Chelsea is a talented side, they are not among the favourites to challenge for the League this season as they lack the same level of experience as Liverpool and Manchester City.

It will be impressive if Werner scores in excess of 15-20 goals in the Premier League this season. This will not only prove that he has adapted to life in England, but it will also be a good platform for him to go and challenge for the Golden Boot award next season.

If the youngsters in the Blues team are able to lead the club to a solid top-four finish this season, there is no reason to believe that they cannot mount a solid title challenge next season.

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Cesc Fabregas Gives Verdict On Hakim Ziyech

Prior to the start of the season, Hakim Ziyech’s arrival at Chelsea generated mixed responses. On the one hand, some fans felt that the club was bringing in a quality attacker who is currently at the peak of his powers.

On the other hand, some felt that the club was bringing in an untested player in England who could fail. Granted, the 27-year-old did not play in any of Europe’s top five leagues prior to his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

What he did have was an impressive reputation. He was one of the star players as Ajax dominated the Eredivisie and reached the semi-final stage of the Champions League in 2019.

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He has started life at Chelsea with a bang

Ziyech has so far cast aside doubts that he might find it difficult to adapt to life in England. The Morocco international made his first Premier League start for the Blues against Burnley last month and notched a goal. In doing so, he became the first Chelsea player since Diego Costa to score in his first two starts for the club.

In his second start for the Blues against Sheffield United, he provided two assists as his side recorded a 4-1 win.

What Fabregas had to say about Ziyech?

Whilst Fabregas and Ziyech are different players, the one thing that both share in common is that they are creative powerhouses. Fabregas has been one of the great creative outlets of the past generation. Ziyech will be hoping to use his creative prowess in order to help bring silverware to the Bridge.

“He’s a very good player,” Fabregas said to 90Min. 

“He has this vision that you need in a top team like Chelsea, who want to win and be champions.

“You could see that they were lacking ideas last season and maybe at the beginning of this season, but with Ziyech, you can see that he has this last pass. It’s not only that he sees it, it’s that he makes it right, at the right time. That’s the decision-making that we talk about nowadays.

“Why are coaches so tactical? Because they see the decision-making of the players is not that good, so they always need to teach them what to do. Before, I believe that coaches were not as on top of the players as they are now, they felt that maybe there was not as much need because the players already saw it themselves, but I believe that Ziyech is one of these players.”

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Brighton Star Tariq Lamptey Opens Up On Why He Left Chelsea

Tariq Lamptey has suggested that he moved away from Chelsea last summer in order to take his career to the next level.  The 20-year-old is a product of the Blues youth development system, having joined the club when he was just 8-years-old.

After being promoted to the Blues first-team in 2019, the England U-21 international made just one Premier League appearance for the club. This led to him re-considering his future with the West London club and he subsequently joined Brighton and Hove Albion in January.

“I had to look at where I would get the most football and how I could take my game to the next level” he said as quoted by The Mirror.

“I sat down with the coaches, family members and agents and thought about what’s best for me. It was a really tough decision.”

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Lamptey has established himself as a key player for Brighton

Since joining the Seagulls, Lamptey has established himself as a star for the club and a first-team regular. He has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he has what it takes to succeed whilst playing in the Premier League.

Some Chelsea fans now wish that the club never allowed Lamptey to leave. It seems like he is a type of player that would have thrived under the management of Frank Lampard.

Lamptey has drawn attention to his abilities as a result of his performances. If he can continue at this rate, it will be surprising if he is still affiliated to Brighton before the start of next season.

A particularly impressive fact about the youngster is that he has not needed a loan spell in order to gain more experience. Most youngsters are sent to a lower league club in the early phase of their careers in order to gain more first-team experience and mature.

Lamptey has not needed that which indicates that he is a cut above the rest of most players who are his age.

 

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